A      ¥  lTM"eV 

HF 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
I   I      I    I  III  II III VII 111  II Illl 

3  1822  02731  1539 


BY-JAMES-OTIS 


•*•»'.  T-ifli-ftiCT 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF 
CALIFORNIA 
SAN  DIEGO 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORN  A 


3  182202731  1539 


Social  Sciences  &  Humanities  Library 

University  of  California,  San  Diego 
Please  Note:  This  item  is  subject  to  recall. 

Date  Due 


APR  23  1999 


Cl  39  (5/97) 


UCSD  Lib. 


THE  BOYS  OF  '98 


J.  When  We  Destroyed  the  Gaspee 

2.  Boston  Boys  of  J775 

3.  When  Dewey  Came  to  Manila 

4.  Off  Santiago  with  Sampson 

5.  When  Israel  Putnam  Served  the  King 

6.  The  Signal  Boys  of  '75 

(A  Tale  of  the  Siege  of  Boston) 

7.  Under  the  Liberty  Tree 

(A  Story  of  the  Boston  Massacre) 

8.  The  Boys  of  1745 

(The  Capture  of  Louisburg) 

9.  An  Island  Refuge 

(Casco  Bay  in  1676) 

10.  Neal  the  Miller 

(A  Son  of  Liberty) 

1 1.  Ezra  Jordan's  Escape 

(The  Massacre  at  Fort  Loyall) 

DANA     ESTES    ©.     COMPANY 

Publishers 
Estes     Press,     Summer    St.,     Boston 


THE    CHARGE    AT    EL    CANEY. 


THE    BOYS   OF   '98 


BY 

JAMES   OTIS 

AUTHOR   OF 

'TOBY  TYLER,"  "JENNY  WREN'S  BOARDING  HOUSE,' 
"THE  BOYS  OF  FORT  SCHUYLER,"  ETC. 


Blustratrt  bg 

J.    STEEPLE   DAVIS 

FRANK    T.    MERRILL 

And  -with  Reproductions  of  Photographs 

ELEVENTH  THOUSAND 


BOSTON 
DANA    ESTES    &    COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


Copyright,  1898 
BY  DANA  ESTES  &  COMPANY 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.    THE  BATTLE-SHIP  MAINE i 

II.     THE  PRELIMINARIES 19 

III.  A  DECLARATION  OF  WAR 38 

IV.  THE  BATTLE  OF  MANILA  BAY    ....  64 
V.    NEWS  OF  THE  DAY 92 

VI.     CARDENAS  AND  SAN  JUAN 117 

VII.     FROM  ALL  QUARTERS 130 

VIII.       HOBSON    AND   THE    MERRIMAC         ....  149 

IX.     BY  WIRE 171 

X.     SANTIAGO  DE  CUBA 194 

XI.     EL  CANEY  AND  SAN  JUAN  HEIGHTS  .        .        .  224 

XII.     THE  SPANISH  FLEET 254 

XIII.  THE  SURRENDER  OF  SANTIAGO  ....  290 

XIV.  MINOR  EVENTS     .......  302 

XV.     THE  PORTO  RICAN  CAMPAIGN     ....  320 

XVI.     THE  FALL  OF  MANILA 335 

XVII.     PEACE 345 

APPENDIX  A  —  THE  PHILIPPINE  ISLANDS  .        .  355 

APPENDIX  B  —  WAR-SHIPS  AND  SIGNALS    .        .  370 

APPENDIX  C  —  SANTIAGO  DE  CUBA    .        .        .  379 

APPENDIX  D  —  PORTO  Rico        ....  383 

APPENDIX  E  —  THE  BAY  OF  GUANTANAMO       .  386 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


MM 

THE  CHARGE  AT  EL  CANEY    ....        Frontispiece 
U.  S.  S.  MAINE         .        .        .  ...        .         7 

CAPTAIN  C.  D.  SIGSBEE 12 

EX-MINISTER  DE  LOME 20 

U.  S.  S.  MONTGOMERY     .        .        .        .        .        .        .24 

MAJOR-GENERAL  FITZHUGH  LEE 30 

U.  S.  S.  COLUMBIA 38 

CAPTAIN-GENERAL  BLANCO 44 

PREMIER  SAGASTA 49 

PRESIDENT  WILLIAM  McKiNLEY      .        .        .        •     -   •       55 

U.  S.  S.  PURITAN .58 

ADMIRAL  GEORGE  DEWEY        .        .        .        .        . '      .      64 

U.  S.  S.  OLYMPIA 69 

U.  S.  S.  BALTIMORE 72 

BATTLE  OF  MANILA  BAY 75 

U.  S.  S.  BOSTON *        .      77 

U.  S.  S.  CONCORD .82 

U.  S.  S.  TERROR       .        .        .        .        .        .        .        -99 

JOHN  D.  LONG,  SECRETARY  OF  NAVY     .      '  9        .        .107 
U.  S.  S.  CHICAGO     .        .        .        •.       .       .       .        .117 

THE  TRAGEDY  OF  THE  WINSLOW    .        ...        .     119 

U.  S.  S.  AMPHITRITE        .        .        •  -     .,       «        •        •     I23 
THE  BOMBARDMENT  OF  SAN  JUAN,  PORTO  Rico    .        .127 

vii 


Vlll  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

PAGE 

U.  S.  S.  MlANTONOMAH   .       .       .       .       .       .       .  ISO 

ADMIRAL  SCHLEY 135 

U.  S.  S.  MONTEREY 144 

U.  S.  S.  MASSACHUSETTS 151 

LIEUTENANT  HOBSON 156 

U.  S.  S.  NEW  YORK 161 

HOBSON  AND  His  MEN  ON  THE  RAFT    .        .        .        .166 

ADMIRAL  CERVERA    .        . 169 

QUEEN  REGENT,  MARIA  CHRISTINA  OF  SPAIN        .        .171 

GENERAL  GARCIA 181 

ADMIRAL  CAMARA 186 

GENERAL  AUGUSTI 192 

U.  S.  S.  MARBLEHEAD 201 

U.  S.  S.  VESUVIUS 207 

U.  S.  S.  TEXAS 215 

COLONEL  THEODORE  ROOSEVELT 218 

MAJOR-GENERAL  SHAFTER 224 

THE  ATTACK  ON  SAN  JUAN  HILL 229 

VICE-PRESIDENT  HOBART  .......  234 

U.  S.  S.  NEWARK 239 

ADMIRAL  W.  T.  SAMPSON 243 

GENERAL  WEYLER    .        .        .        .  •  .        .        .254 

CAPTAIN  R.  D.  EVANS 256 

U.  S.  S.  IOWA 262 

THE  DESTRUCTION  OF  CERVERA'S  FLEET        .        .        .  266 

U.  S.  S.  INDIANA 269 

U.  S.  S.  OREGON 275 

U.  S.  S.  BROOKLYN 282 

MAJOR-GENERAL  JOSEPH  WHEELER         ....  292 

KING  ALPHONSO  XIII.  OF  SPAIN 300 

GENERAL  GOMEZ       . 311 

U.  S.  S.  NEW  ORLEANS 314 

U.  S.  S.  SAN  FRANCISCO 318 


ILLUSTRATIONS.  IX 

PACK 

MAJOR-GENERAL  MILES    .......  320 

MAJOR-GENERAL  BROOKE 327 

GENERAL  BROOKE  RECEIVING  THE  NEWS  OF  THE  PRO- 
TOCOL   333 

GENERAL  RUSSELL  A.  ALGER,  SECRETARY  OF  WAR      .  334 

MAJOR-GENERAL  WESLEY  MERRITT         ....  344 

DON  CARLOS     . 349 


THE    BOYS   OF   '98. 


CHAPTER   I. 

THE   BATTLE -SHIP   MAINE. 

AT  or  about  eleven  o'clock  on  the  morning  of 
January  25th  the  United  States  battle-ship 
Maine  steamed  through  the  narrow  channel  which 
gives  entrance  to  the  inner  harbour  of  Havana,  and 
came  to  anchor  at  Buoy  No.  4,  in  obedience  to  orders 
from  the  captain  of  the  port,  in  from  five  and  one-half 
to  six  fathoms  of  water.  She  swung  at  her  cables 
within  five  hundred  yards  of  the  arsenal,  and  about 
two  hundred  yards  distant  from  the  floating  dock. 

Very  shortly  afterward  the  rapid-firing  guns  on  her 
bow  roared  out  a  salute  as  the  Spanish  colours  were 
run  up  to  the  mizzenmast-head,  and  this  thunderous 
announcement  of  friendliness  was  first  answered  by 
Morro  Castle,  followed  a  few  moments  later  by  the 
Spanish  cruiser  Alphonso  XI L  and  a  German 
school-ship. 

The  reverberations    had    hardly  ceased    before   the 


2  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

captain  of  the  port  and  an  officer  from  the  Spanish 
war-vessel,  each  in  his  gaily  decked  launch,  came  along- 
side the  battle-ship  in  accordance  with  the  rules  of 
naval  etiquette. 

Lieut.  John  J.  Blandin,  officer  of  the  deck,  received 
the  visitors  at  the  head  of  the  gangway  and  escorted 
them  to  the  captain's  cabin.  A  few  moments  later 
came  an  officer  from  the  German  ship,  and  the  cour- 
tesies of  welcoming  the  Americans  were  at  an  end. 

The  Maine  was  an  armoured,  twin-screw  battle-ship  of 
the  second  class,  318  feet  in  length,  57  feet  in  breadth, 
with  a  draught  of  21  feet,  6  inches ;  of  6,648  tons  dis- 
placement, with  engines  of  9,293  indicated  horse-power, 
giving  her  a  speed  of  17.75  knots.  She  was  built  in 
the  Brooklyn  navy  yard,  according  to  act  of  Congress, 
August  3,  1886.  Work  on  her  was  commenced  Octo- 
ber 11,  1888;  she  was  launched  November  18,  1890, 
and  put  into  commission  September  17,  1895.  She 
was  built  after  the  designs  of  chief  constructor  T.  D. 
Wilson.  The  delay  in  going  into  commission  is  said 
to  have  been  due  to  the  difficulty  in  getting  satisfactory 
armour.  The  side  armour  was  twelve  inches  thick  ; 
the  two  steel  barbettes  were  each  of  the  same  thick- 
ness, and  the  walls  of  the  turrets  were  eight  inches 
thick. 

In  her  main  battery  were  four  lO-inch  and  six 
6-inch  breech-loading  rifles ;  in  the  secondary  bat- 
tery seven  6-pounder  and  eight  i -pounder  rapid-fire 
guns  and  four  Catlings.  Her  crew  was  made  up  of 


THE    BATTLE -SHIP    MAINE.  3 

370  men,  and  the  following  officers :  Capt.  C.  D. 
Sigsbee,  Lieut. -Commander  R.  Wainwright,  Lieut.  G. 
F.  W.  Holman,  Lieut.  J.  Hood,  Lieut.  C.  W.  Jungen, 
Lieut.  G.  P.  Blow,  Lieut.  F.  W.  Jenkins,  Lieut.  J.  J. 
Blandin,  Surgeon  S.  G.  Heneberger,  Paymaster  C.  M. 
Ray,  Chief  Engineer  C.  P.  Howell,  Chaplain  J.  P.  Chid- 
wick,  Passed  Assistant  Engineer  F.  C.  Bowers,  Lieu- 
tenant of  Marines  A.  Catlin,  Assistant  Engineer  J.  R. 
Morris,  Assistant  Engineer  Darwin  R.  Merritt,  Naval 
Cadet  J.  H.  Holden,  Naval  Cadet  W.  T.  Cluverius, 
Naval  Cadet  R.  Bronson,  Naval  Cadet  P.  Washington, 
Naval  Cadet  A.  Crenshaw,  Naval  Cadet  J.  T.  Boyd, 
Boatswain  F.  E.  Larkin,  Gunner  J.  Hill,  Carpenter  J. 
Helm,  Paymaster's  Clerk  B.  McCarthy. 

Why  had  the  Maine  been  sent  to  this  port  ? 

The  official  reason  given  by  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy  when  he  notified  the  Spanish  minister,  Sefior 
Dupuy  de  Lome,  was  that  the  visit  of  the  Maine  was 
simply  intended  as  a  friendly  call,  according  to  the 
recognised  custom  of  nations. 

The  United  States  minister  at  Madrid,  General 
Woodford,  also  announced  the  same  in  substance  to 
the  Spanish  Minister  of  State. 

It  having  been  repeatedly  declared  by  the  govern- 
ment at  Madrid  that  a  state  of  war  did  not  exist  in 
Cuba,  and  that  the  relations  between  the  United  States 
and  Spain  were  of  the  most  friendly  character,  nothing 
less  could  be  done  than  accept  the  official  constructor 
put  upon  the  visit. 


4  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

The  Spanish  public,  however,  were  not  disposed  to 
view  the  matter  in  the  same  light,  as  may  be  seen  by 
the  following  extracts  from  newspapers  : 

"  If  the  government  of  the  United  States  sends  one 
war-ship  to  Cuba,  a  thing  it  is  no  longer  likely  to  do, 
Spain  would  act  with  energy  and  without  vacillation." 
—  El  Heraldo,  January  i6th. 

"  We  see  now  the  eagerness  of  the  Yankees  to  seize 
Cuba."  —  The  Imparcial,  January  2$d. 

The  same  paper,  on  the  27th,  declared : 

"  If  Havana  people,  exasperated  at  American  im- 
pudence in  sending  the  Maine,  do  some  rash,  disagree- 
able thing,  the  civilised  world  will  know  too  well  who 
is  responsible.  The  American  government  must  know 
that  the  road  it  has  taken  leads  to  war  between  both 
nations." 

On  January  25th  Madrid  newspapers  made  general 
comment  upon  the  official  explanation  of  the  Maine's 
visit  to  Havana,  and  agreed  in  expressing  the  opinion 
that  her  visit  is  "inopportune  and  calculated  to  en- 
courage the  insurgents."  It  was  announced  that, 
"following  Washington's  example,"  the  Spanish  gov- 
ernment will  "  instruct  Spanish  war-ships  to  visit  a 
few  American  ports." 

The  Imparcial  expresses  fear  that  the  despatch  of 
the  Maine  to  Havana  will  provoke  a  conflict,  and  adds  : 

"  Europe  cannot  doubt  America's  attitude "  towards 
Spain.  But  the  Spanish  people,  if  necessary,  will  do 
their  duty  with  honour." 


THE    BATTLE -SHIP    MAINE.  5 

The  Epocha  asks  if  the  despatch  of  the  Maine  to 
Havana  is  "intended  as  a  sop  to  the  Jingoes,"  and 
adds  : 

"  We  cannot  suppose  the  American  government  so 
na'fve  or  badly  informed  as  to  imagine  that  the  presence 
of  American  war-vessels  at  Havana  will  be  a  cause  of 
satisfaction  to  Spain  or  an  indication  of  friendship." 

The  people  of  the  United  States  generally  believed 
that  the  battle-ship  had  been  sent  to  Cuba  because 
of  the  disturbances  existing  in  the  city  of  Havana, 
which  seemingly  threatened  the  safety  of  Americans 
there. 

On  the  morning  of  January  I2th  what  is  termed 
the  "anti-liberal  outbreak"  occurred  in  the  city  of 
Havana. 

Officers  of  the  regular  and  volunteer  forces  headed 
the  ultra-Spanish  element  in  an  attack  upon  the  lead- 
ing liberal  newspaper  offices,  because,  as  alleged,  of 
Captain-General  Blanco's  refusal  to  authorise  the  sup- 
pression of  the  liberal  press.  It  was  evidently  a  riotous 
protest  against  Spain's  policy  of  granting  autonomy  to 
the  Cubans. 

The  mob,  gathered  in  such  numbers  as  to  be  for  the 
time  being  most  formidable,  indulged  in  open  threats 
against  Americans,  and  it  was  believed  by  the  public 
generally  that  American  interests,  and  the  safety  of 
citizens  of  the  United  States  in  Havana,  demanded  the 
protection  of  a  war-vessel. 

The  people  of  Havana  received  the  big  fighting  ship 


6  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

impassively.  Soldiers,  sailors,  and  civilians  gathered  at 
the  water-front  as  spectators,  but  no  word,  either  of 
threat  or  friendly  greeting,  was  heard. 

In  the  city  the  American  residents  experienced  a 
certain  sense  of  relief  because  now  a  safe  refuge  was 
provided  in  case  of  more  serious  rioting. 

That  the  officers  and  crew  of  the  Maine  were  appre- 
hensive regarding  their  situation  there  can  be  little 
doubt.  During  the  first  week  after  the  arrival  of  the 
battle-ship  several  of  the  sailors  wrote  to  friends  or 
relatives  expressing  fears  as  to  what  might  be  the 
result  of  the  visit,  and  on  the  tenth  of  February  one  of 
the  lieutenants  is  reported  as  having  stated : 

"  If  we  don't  get  away  from  here  soon  there  will  be 
trouble." 

The  customary  ceremonial  visits  on  shore  were  made 
by  the  commander  of  the  ship  and  his  staff,  and,  so 
far  as  concerned  the  officials  of  the  city,  the  Americans 
were  seemingly  welcome  visitors. 

The  more  radical  of  the  citizens  were  not  so  appar- 
ently content  with  seeing  the  Maine  in  their  harbour. 
Within  a  week  after  the  arrival  of  the  ship  incendiary 
circulars  were  distributed  in  the  streets,  on  the  railway 
cars,  and  in  many  other  public  places,  calling  upon  all 
Spaniards  to  avenge  the  "  insult "  of  the  battle-ship's 
visit. 

A  translation  of  one  such  circular  serves  as  a  speci- 
men of  all : 

"  Spaniards  :    Long  live  Spain  and  honour. 


THE    BATTLE -SHIP    MAINE.  7 

"  What  are  ye  doing  that  ye  allow  yourselves  to  be 
insulted  in  this  way  ? 

"  Do  you  not  see  what  they  have  done  to  us  in  with- 
drawing our  brave  and  beloved  Weyler,  who  at  this 
very  time  would  have  finished  with  this  unworthy 
rebellious  rabble,  who  are  trampling  on  our  flag  and 
our  honour  ? 

"  Autonomy  is  imposed  on  us  so  as  to  thrust  us  to 
one  side  and  to  give  posts  of  honour  and  authority  to 
those  who  initiated  this  rebellion,  these  ill-born  autono- 
mists, ungrateful  sons  of  our  beloved  country. 

"  And,  finally,  these  Yankee  hogs  who  meddle  in  our 
affairs  humiliate  us  to  the  last  degree,  and  for  still 
greater  taunt  order  to  us  one  of  the  ships  of  war  of 
their  rotten  squadron,  after  insulting  us  in  their  news- 
papers and  driving  us  from  our  homes. 

"  Spaniards,  the  moment  of  action  has  arrived. 
Sleep  not.  Let  us  show  these  vile  traitors  that  we 
have  not  yet  lost  shame  and  that  we  know  how  to  pro- 
tect ourselves  with  energy  befitting  a  nation  worthy 
and  strong  as  our  Spain  is  and  always  will  be. 

"  Death  to  Americans.     Death  to  autonomy. 

"  Long  live  Spain  ! 

"  Long  live  Weyler !  " 

At  eight  o'clock  on  the  evening  of  February  I5th 
all  the  magazines  aboard  the  battle-ship  were  closed, 
and  the  keys  delivered  to  her  commander  according 
to  the  rules  of  the  service. 


8  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

An  hour  and  a  half  later  Lieut.  John  J.  Blandin  was 
on  watch  as  officer  of  the  deck ;  Captain  Sigsbee  sat  in 
his  cabin  writing  letters ;  on  the  starboard  side  of  the 
ship,  made  fast  to  the  boom,  was  the  steam  cutter,  with 
her  crew  on  board  waiting  to  make  the  regular  ten 
o'clock  trip  to  the  shore  to  bring  off  such  of  the  officers 
or  crew  as  were  on  leave  of  absence. 

The  night  was  unusually  dark ;  great  banks  of  thick 
clouds  hung  over  the  city  and  harbour ;  the  ripple  of 
the  waves  against  the  hulls  of  the  vessels  at  anchor, 
and  the  subdued  hum  of  voices,  alone  broke  the  silence. 
The  lights  here  and  there,  together  with  the  dark  tra- 
cery of  spar  and  cordage  against  the  sky,  was  all 
that  betokened  the  presence  of  war-ship  or  peaceful 
merchantman. 

Suddenly,  and  when  the  silence  was  most  profound,  the 
watch  on  board  the  steamer  City  of  Washington,  and 
some  sailors  ashore,  saw  what  appeared  to  be  a  sheet 
of  fire  flash  up  in  the  water  directly  beneath  the  Maine, 
and  even  as  the  blinding  glare  was  in  their  eyes  came  a 
mighty,  confused  rumble  as  of  grinding  and  rending, 
followed  an  instant  later  by  a  roar  as  if  a  volcano  had 
sprung  into  activity  beneath  the  waves  of  the  harbour. 

Then  was  flung  high  in  the  air  what  might  be 
likened  to  a  shaft  of  fire  filled  with  fragments  of  iron, 
wood,  and  human  flesh,  rising  higher  and  higher  until 
its  force  was  spent,  when  it  fell  outwardly  as  falls  a 
column  of  water  broken  by  the  wind. 

The  earth  literally  trembled  ;  the  air  suddenly  became 


THE    BATTLE -SHIP    MAINE.  9 

heavy  with  stifling  smoke.  Electric  lights  on  shore  were 
extinguished  ;  the  tinkling  of  breaking  glass  could  be 
heard  everywhere  in  that  portion  of  the  city  nearest  the 
harbour. 

When  the  shower  of  fragments  and  of  fire  ceased  to 
fall  a  dense  blackness  enshrouded  the  harbour,  from  the 
midst  of  which  could  be  heard  cries  of  agony,  appeals 
for  help,  and  the  shouts  of  those  who,  even  while 
struggling  to  save  their  own  lives,  would  cheer  their 
comrades. 

After  this,  and  no  man  could  have  said  how  many 
seconds  passed  while  the  confusing,  bewildering  black- 
ness lay  heavy  over  that  scene  of  death  and  destruc- 
tion, long  tongues  of  flame  burst  up  from  the  torn  and 
splintered  decks  of  the  doomed  battle-ship,  a  signal  of 
distress,  as  well  as  a  beacon  for  those  who  would 
succour  the  dying. 

Captain  Sigsbee,  recovering  in  the  briefest  space  of 
time  from  the  bewilderment  of  the  shock,  ran  out  of 
the  cabin  toward  the  deck,  groping  his  way  as  best  he 
might  in  the  darkness  through  the  long  passage  until 
he  came  upon  the  marine  orderly,  William  Anthony, 
who  was  at  his  post  of  duty  near  the  captain's  quarters. 

It  was  a  moment  full  of  horror  all  the  more  intense 
because  unknown,  but  the  soldier,  mindful  even  then 
of  his  duty,  saluting,  said  in  the  tone  of  one  who  makes 
an  ordinary  report : 

"  Sir,  I  have  to  inform  you  that  the  ship  has  been 
blown  up,  and  is  sinking." 


IO  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

"Follow  me,"  the  captain  replied,  acknowledging 
his  subordinate's  salute,  and  the  two  pressed  forward 
through  the  blackness  and  suffocating  vapour. 

Lieutenant  Blandin,  officer  of  the  deck,  was  sitting 
on  the  starboard  side  of  the  quarter-deck  when  the 
terrible  upheaval  began,  and  was  knocked  down  by  a 
piece  of  cement  hurled  from  the  lowermost  portion  of 
the  ship's  frame,  perhaps  ;  but,  leaping  quickly  to  his 
feet,  he  ran  to  the  poop  that  he  might  be  at  his  proper 
station  when  the  supreme  moment  came. 

Lieut.  Friend  W.  Jenkins  was  in  the  junior  officers' 
mess-room  when  the  first  of  a  battle-ship's  death-throes 
was  felt,  and  as  soon  as  possible  made  his  way  toward 
the  deck,  encouraging  some  of  the  bewildered  marines 
to  make  a  brave  fight  for  life ;  but  he  never  joined  his 
comrades. 

Assistant  Engineer  Darwin  R.  Merritt  and  Naval 
Cadet  Boyd  together  ran  toward  the  hatch,  but  only 
to  find  the  ladder  gone.  Boyd  climbed  through,  and 
then  did  his  best  to  aid  Merritt ;  but  his  efforts  were 
vain,  and  the  engineer  went  down  with  his  ship. 

It  seemed  as  if  only  the  merest  fraction  of  time 
elapsed  before  the  uninjured  survivors  were  gathered 
on  the  poop-deck.  Forward  of  them,  where  a  moment 
previous  had  been  the  main-deck,  was  a  huge  mass 
looming  up  in  the  darkness  like  some  threatening 
promontory. 

On  the  starboard  quarter  hung  the  gig,  and  opposite 
her,  on  the  port  side,  was  the  barge. 


THE    BATTLE -SHIP    MAINE.  II 

During  the  first  two  or  three  seconds  only  muffled, 
gurgling,  choking  exclamations  were  heard  indistinctly  ; 
and  then,  when  the  terrible  vibrations  of  the  air  ceased, 
cries  for  help  went  up  from  every  quarter. 

Lieutenant  Blandin  says,  in  describing  those  few  but 
terrible  moments : 

"Captain  Sigsbee  ordered  that  the  gig  and  the 
launch  be  lowered,  and  the  officers  and  men,  who  by 
this  time  had  assembled,  got  the  boats  out  and  rescued 
a  number  in  the  water. 

"Captain  Sigsbee  ordered  Lieut. -Comman4er  Wain- 
wright  forward  to  see  the  extent  of  the  damage,  and  if 
anything  could  be  done  to  rescue  those  forward,  or  to 
extinguish  the  flames  which  followed  close  upon  the 
explosion  and  burned  fiercely  as  long  as  there  were 
any  combustibles  above  water  to  feed  them. 

"  Lieut. -Commander  Wainwright  on  his  return  re- 
ported the  total  and  awful  character  of  the  calamity, 
and  Captain  Sigsbee  gave  the  last  sad  order,  '  Abandon 
ship,'  to  men  overwhelmed  with  grief  indeed,  but  calm 
and  apparently  unexcited." 

The  quiet,  yet  at  the  same  time  sharp,  words  of 
command  from  the  captain  aroused  his  officers  from 
the  stupefaction  of  horror  which  had  begun  to  creep 
over  them,  and  this  handful  of  men,  who  even  then 
were  standing  face  to  face  with  death,  set  about  aiding 
their  less  fortunate  companions. 

As  soon  as  they  could  be  manned,  boats  put  off  from 
the  vessels  in  the  harbour,  and  the  work  of  rescue  was 


12  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

continued  until  all  the  torn  and  mangled  bodies  in 
which  life  yet  remained  had  been  taken  from  the  water. 

Capt.  H.  H.  Woods,  of  the  British  steamer  Thurston, 
was  among  the  first  in  this  labour  of  mercy,  and  con- 
cerning it  he  says  : 

"  My  vessel  was  within  half  a  mile  of  the  Maine, 
and  my  small  boat  was  the  first  to  gain  the  wreck. 
It  is  beyond  my  power  to  describe  the  explosion.  It 
was  awful.  It  paralysed  the  intellect  for  a  few  moments. 
The  cries  that  came  over  the  water  awakened  us  to  a 
realisation  that  some  great  tragedy  had  occurred. 

"I  made  all  haste  to  the  wreck.  There  were  very 
few  men  in  the  water.  All  told,  I  do  not  believe  there 
were  thirty.  We  picked  up  some  of  them  and  passed 
them  on  to  other  vessels,  and  then  continued  our  work 
of  rescue. 

"The  sight  was  appalling.  Dismembered  legs  and 
trunks  of  bodies  were  floating  about,  together  with 
pieces  of  clothing,  boxes  of  meats,  and  all  sorts  of 
wreckage.  Now  and  then  the  agonised  cry  of  some 
poor  suffering  fellow  could  be  heard  above  the  tumult. 

"  One  grand  figure  stood  out  in  all  the  terrible  scene. 
That  was  Captain  Sigsbee.  Every  American  has  reason 
to  be  proud  of  that  officer.  He  seemed  to  have  realised 
in  an  instant  all  that  happened.  Not  for  a  moment  did 
he  show  evidence  of  excitement.  He  alone  was  cool. 
Discipline  ?  Why,  man,  the  discipline  was  there  as 
strong  as  ever,  despite  the  fact  that  all  around  was 
death  and  disaster." 


CAPTAIN    SIGSBEE. 


THE    BATTLE-SHIP    MAINE.  13 

The  commander  of  the  Maine  was  the  last  to  leave 
the  wreck,  and  then  all  that  was  left  of  the  mighty  ship 
was  beginning  to  settle  in  the  slime  and  putrefaction 
which  covers  the  bottom  of  Havana  harbour. 

Calmly,  with  the  same  observance  of  etiquette  as  if 
they  had  been  assisting  at  some  social  function,  the 
officers  took  their  respective  places  in  the  boats,  and, 
amid  a  silence  born  of  deepest  grief,  rowed  a  short 
distance  from  the  rent  and  riven  mass  so  lately  their 
post  of  duty. 

A  gentleman  from  Chicago,  a  guest  at  the  Grand 
Hotel,  was  seated  in  front  of  the  building  when  the 
explosion  occurred. 

"  It  was  followed  by  another  and  a  much  louder  one," 
he  said.  "We  thought  the  whole  city  had  been  blown 
to  pieces.  Some  said  the  insurgents  were  entering 
Havana.  Others  cried  out  that  Morro  Castle  was 
blown  up. 

"On  the  Prado  is  a  large  cab-stand.  One  minute 
after  the  explosion  was  heard  the  cabmen  cracked  their 
whips  and  went  rattling  over  the  cobblestones  like 
crazy  men.  The  fire  department  turned  out,  and  bodies 
of  cavalry  and  infantry  rushed  through  the  streets. 
There  was  no  sleep  in  Havana  that  night." 

Soon  after  the  disaster  Admiral  Manterola  and 
General  Solano  put  off  to  the  wreck,  and  offered  their 
services  to  Captain  Sigsbee. 

There    were    many  wonderful    escapes    from    death. 


14  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

One  of  the  ward-room  cooks  was  thrown  outboard  into 
the  water. 

A  Japanese  sailor  was  blown  into  the  air,  and,  falling 
in  the  sea,  was  picked  up  alive. 

One  seaman  was  sleeping  in  a  yawl  hanging  at  the 
davits.  The  boat  was  crushed  like  an  egg-shell ;  but 
the  sailor  fell  overboard  and  was  picked  up  unhurt. 

Three  men  were  doing  punishment  watch  on  the 
port  quarter-deck,  and  thus  probably  escaped  death. 

One  sailor  swam  about  until  help  came,  although 
both  his  legs  were  broken.  Another  had  the  bones  of 
his  ankle  crushed,  and  yet  managed  to  keep  afloat. 

Two  hours  or  more  passed  before  the  unsubmerged, 
wooden  portion  of  the  wreck  had  been  consumed  by 
the  flames,  and  at  11.30  P.M.  the  smoke-stacks  of  the 
ill-fated  ship  fell. 

On  board  the  steamer  City  of  Washington,  two  boats 
were  literally  riddled  by  fragments  of  the  Maine  which 
fell  after  the  explosion,  and  among  them  was  an  iron 
truss  which,  crashing  through  the  pantry,  demolished 
the  tableware. 

When  morning  came  the  wreck  was  the  central 
figure  of  an  otherwise  bright  picture,  sad  as  it  was 
terrible.  The  huge  mass  of  flame-charred  debris  for- 
ward looked  as  if  it  had  been  thrown  up  from  a  subter- 
ranean storehouse  of  fused  cement,  steel,  wood,  and  iron. 

Further  aft,  one  military  mast  protruded  at  a  slight 
angle  from  the  perpendicular,  while  the  poop  afforded 
a  resting-place  for  the  workmen  or  divers. 


THE    BATTLE-SHIP    MAINE.  15 

Of  the  predominant  white  which  distinguishes  our 
war-vessels  in  time  of  peace,  not  a  vestige  remained. 
In  its  place  was  the  blackness  of  desolating  death, 
marking  the  spot  where  two  hundred  and  sixty-six 
brave  men  had  gone  over  into  the  Beyond. 

The  total  loss  to  the  government  as  a  result  of  the 
disaster  was  officially  pronounced  to  be  $4,689,261.31. 
This  embraced  the  cost  of  hull,  machinery,  equipment, 
armour,  gun  protection  and  armament,  both  in  main  and 
secondary  batteries.  It  included  the  cost  of  ammuni- 
tion, shells,  current  supplies,  coal,  and,  in  short,  the 
entire  outfit. 

The  pet  of  the  Maine  s  crew,  a  big  cat,  was  found 
next  morning,  perched  on  a  fragment  of  a  truss  which 
yet  remained  above  the  water,  and  near  her,  as  if  seek- 
ing companionship,  was  the  captain's  dog,  Peggy. 

Consul-General  Lee  cabled  from  Havana  on  the 
afternoon  of  the  sixteenth  : 

"Profound  sorrow  is  expressed  by  the  government 
and  municipal  authorities,  consuls  of  foreign  nations, 
organised  bodies  of  all  sorts,  and  citizens  generally. 

"Flags  are  at  half-mast  on  the  governor-general's 
palace,  on  shipping  in  the  harbour,  and  in  the  city. 

"Business  is  suspended,  and  the  theatres  are 
closed." 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  seventeenth  the  bodies 
which  had  been  found  up  to  that  time  were  buried  in 


1 6  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

Havana  with  military  honours,  two  companies  of 
Spanish  sailors  from  the  cruiser  Alphonso  XII.  acting 
as  escort. 

A  board  of  inquiry,  composed  of  Capt.  W.  T.  Samp- 
son of  the  U.  S.  S.  Iowa  as  presiding  officer,  Com- 
mander Adolph  Marix  as  judge  advocate,  Capt.  F.  E. 
Chad  wick,  and  Commander  W.  P.  Potter,  all  of  the 
New  York,  was  convened,  and  on  March  28th  Presi- 
dent McKinley  sent  a  message  to  Congress,  the  conclu- 
sion of  which  was  as  follows  : 

"The  appalling  calamity  fell  upon  the  people  of  our 
country  with  crushing  force,  and  for  a  brief  time  an 
intense  excitement  prevailed,  which  in  a  community 
less  just  and  self-controlled  than  ours  might  have  led 
to  hasty  acts  of  blind  resentment. 

"This  spirit,  however,  soon  gave  way  to  calmer 
processes  of  reason,  and  to  the  resolve  to  investigate 
the  facts  and  await  material  proof  before  forming  a 
judgment  as  to  the  cause,  the  responsibility,  and,  if 
the  facts  warranted,  the  remedy  due.  This  course 
necessarily  recommended  itself  from  the  outset  to  the 
executive,  for  only  in  the  light  of  a  dispassionately 
ascertained  certainty  will  it  determine  the  nature  and 
measure  of  its  full  duty  in  the  matter. 

"The  usual  procedure  was  followed,  as  in  all  cases  of 
casualty  or  disaster  to  national  vessels  of  any  maritime 
state. 

"A  naval  court  of  inquiry  was  at  once  organised, 
composed  of  officers  well  qualified  by  rank  and  prac- 


THE    BATTLE -SHIP    MAINE.  17 

tical  experience  to  discharge  the  onerous  duty  imposed 
upon  them. 

"Aided  by  a  strong  force  of  wreckers  and  divers, 
the  court  proceeded  to  make  a  thorough  investigation 
on  the  spot,  employing  every  available  means  for  im- 
partial and  exact  determination  of  the  causes  of  the 
explosion.  Its  operations  have  been  conducted  with 
the  utmost  deliberation  and  judgment,  and,  while  inde- 
pendently pursued,  no  source  of  information  was 
neglected,  and  the  fullest  opportunity  was  allowed  for  a 
simultaneous  investigation  by  the  Spanish  authorities. 

"The  finding  of  the  court  of  inquiry  was  reached, 
after  twenty-three  days  of  continuous  labour,  on  the 
twenty-first  of  March  instant,  and,  having  been  ap- 
proved on  the  twenty-second  by  the  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  United  States  naval  force  in  the  North 
Atlantic  station,  was  transmitted  to  the  executive. . 

"  It  is  herewith  laid  before  the  Congress,  together 
with  the  voluminous  testimony  taken  before  the  court. 

"The  conclusions  of  the  court  are :  That  the  loss  of 
the  Maine  was  not  in  any  respect  due  to  fault  or 
negligence  on  the  part  of  any  of  the  officers  or  mem- 
bers of  her  crew. 

"  That  the  ship  was  destroyed  by  the  explosion  of  a 
submarine  mine,  which  caused  the  partial  explosion  of 
two  or  more  of  her  forward  magazines ;  and  that  no 
evidence  has  been  obtainable  fixing  the  responsibility 
for  the  destruction  of  the  Maine  upon  any  person  or 
persons. 


1 8  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

"I  have  directed  that  the  finding  of  the  court  of 
inquiry  and  the  views  of  this  government  thereon  be 
communicated  to  the  government  of  her  majesty,  the 
queen  regent,  and  I  do  not  permit  myself  to  doubt  that 
the  sense  of  justice  of  the  Spanish  nation  will  dictate  a 
course  of  action  suggested  by  honour  and  the  friendly 
relations  of  the  two  governments. 

"  It  will  be  the  duty  of  the  executive  to  advise  the 
Congress  of  the  result,  and  in  the  meantime  deliberate 
consideration  is  invoked." 

It  was  the  preface  to  a  mustering  of  the  boys  of  '61 
who  had  worn  the  blue  or  the  gray,  this  tragedy  in  the 
harbour  of  Havana,  and,  when  the  government  gave 
permission,  the  boys  of  '98  came  forward  many  and 
many  a  thousand  strong  to  emulate  the  deeds  of  their 
fathers  — the  boys  of  '61  —  who,  although  the  hand  of 
Time  had  been  laid  heavily  upon  them,  panted  to  partic- 
ipate in  the  punishment  of  those  who  were  responsible 
for  the  slaughter  of  American  sailors  within  the  shadow 
of  Morro  Castle. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE    PRELIMINARIES. 

\  \  7"AR  between  two  nations  does  not  begin  sud 
*  *  denly.  The  respective  governments  are  exceed- 
ingly ceremonious  before  opening  the  "  game  of  death," 
and  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  the  United  States 
commenced  hostilities  immediately  after  the  disaster  to 
the  Maine  in  the  harbour  of  Havana. 

To  tell  the  story  of  the  war  which  ensued,  without 
first  giving  in  regular  order  the  series  of  events  which 
marked  the  preparations  for  hostilities,  would  be  much 
like  relating  an  adventure  without  explaining  why  the 
hero  was  brought  int~  the  situation. 

It  is  admitted  that,  as  a  rule,  details,  and  especially 
those  of  a  political  nature,  are  dry  reading ;  but  once 
take  into  consideration  the  fact  that  they  all  aid  in 
giving  a  clearer  idea  of  how  one  nation  begins  hostili- 
ties with  another,  and  much  of  the  tediousness  may  be 
forgiven. 

Just  previous  to  the  disaster  to  the  Maine,  during 
the  last  of  March  or  the  first  of  February,  Seflor  En- 
rique Dupuy  de  Lome,  the  Spanish  minister  at  Wash- 
ington, wrote  a  private  letter  to  the  editor  of  the 

'9 


2O  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

Madrid  Herald,  Sefior  Canal ej as,  who  was  his  intimate 
friend,  in  which  he  made  some  uncomplimentary  re- 
marks regarding  the  President  of  the  United  States, 
and  intimated  that  Spain  was  not  sincere  in  certain 
commercial  negotiations  which  were  then  being  carried 
on  between  the  two  countries. 

By  some  means,  not  yet  fully  explained,  certain 
Cubans  got  possession  of  this  letter,  and  caused  it  to 
be  published  in  the  newspapers.  Sefior  de  Lome  did 
not  deny  having  written  the  objectionable  matter ;  but 
claimed  that,  since  it  was  a  private  communication,  it 
should  not  affect  him  officially.  The  Secretary  of 
State  instructed  General  Woodford,  our  minister  at 
Madrid,  to  demand  that  the  Spanish  government  imme- 
diately recall  Minister  de  Lome,  and  to  state  that,  if  he 
was  not  relieved  from  duty  within  twenty-four  hours, 
the  President  would  issue  to  him  his  passports,  which 
is  but  another  way  of  ordering  a  foreign  minister  out 
of  the  country. 

February  p.  Sefior  de  Lome  made  all  haste  to  re- 
sign, and  the  resignation  was  accepted  by  his  govern- 
ment before  —  so  it  was  claimed  by  the  Spanish  authori- 
ties —  President  McKinley's  demand  for  the  recall  was 
received. 

February  15.  The  de  Lome  incident  was  a  political 
matter  which  caused  considerable  diplomatic  corre- 
spondence ;  but  it  was  overshadowed  when  the  bat- 
tle-ship Maine  was  blown  up  in  the  harbour  of 
Havana. 


EX-MINISTER    DE    LOME. 


THE    PRELIMINARIES.  21 

As  has  already  been  said,  the  United  States  govern- 
ment at  once  ordered  a  court  of  inquiry  to  ascertain 
the  cause  of  the  disaster,  and  this,  together  with  the 
search  for  the  bodies  of  the  drowned  crew,  was  prose- 
cuted with  utmost  vigour. 

Very  many  of  the  people  in  the  United  States 
believed  that  Spanish  officials  were  chargeable  with  the 
terrible  crime,  while  those  who  were  not  disposed  to 
make  such  exceedingly  serious  accusation  insisted  that 
the  Spanish  government  was  responsible  for  the  safety 
of  the  vessel,  —  that  she  had  been  destroyed  by  outside 
agencies  in  a  friendly  harbour.  In  the  newspapers,  on 
the  streets,  in  all  public  places,  the  American  people 
spoke  of  the  possibility  of  war,  and  the  officials  of  the 
government  set  to  work  as  if,  so  it  would  seem,  they  also 
were  confident  there  would  be  an  open  rupture  between 
the  two  nations. 

February  28.  In  Congress,  Representative  Gibson 
of  Tennessee  introduced  a  bill  appropriating  twenty 
million  dollars  "  for  the  maintenance  of  national  honour 
and  defence."  Representative  Bromwell,  of  Ohio,  intro- 
duced a  similar  resolution,  appropriating  a  like  amount 
of  money  "  to  place  the  naval  strength  of  the  country 
upon  a  proper  footing  for  immediate  hostilities  with 
any  foreign  power."  On  the  same  day  orders  were 
issued  to  the  commandant  at  Fort  Barrancas,  Florida, 
directing  him  to  send  men  to  man  the  guns  at  Santa 
Rosa  Island,  opposite  Pensacola. 

February  28.     Sefior  Louis  Polo  y  Bernabe,  appointed 


22  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

minister  in  the  place  of  Sefior  de  Lome,  who  resigned, 
sailed  from  Gibraltar. 

By  the  end  of  February  the  work  of  preparing  the 
vessels  at  the  different  navy  yards  for  sea  was  being 
pushed  forward  with  the  utmost  rapidity,  and  munitions 
of  war  were  distributed  hurriedly  among  the  forts  and 
fortifications,  as  if  the  officials  of  the  War  Department 
believed  that  hostilities  might  be  begun  at  any  moment. 

Nor  was  it  only  within  the  borders  of  this  country 
that  such  preparations  were  making.  A  despatch  from 
Shanghai  to  London  reported  that  the  United  States 
squadron,  which  included  the  cruisers  Olympia,  Boston, 
Raleigh,  Concord,  and  Petrel,  were  concentrating  at 
Hongkong,  with  a  view  of  active  operations  against 
Manila,  in  the  Philippine  Islands,  in  event  of  war. 

At  about  the  same  time  came  news  from  Spain 
telling  that  the  Spanish  were  making  ready  for  hostil- 
ities. An  exceptionally  large  number  of  artisans  were 
at  work  preparing  for  sea  battle-ships,  cruisers,  and  tor- 
pedo-boat destroyers.  The  cruisers  Oqucndo  and  Vis- 
caya,  with  the  torpedo-boat  destroyers  Furor  and 
Terror,  were  already  on  their  way  to  Cuba,  where 
were  stationed  the  Alphonso  XII.,  the  Infanta  Isabel, 
and  the  Nueva  Espana,  together  with  twelve  gunboats 
of  about  three  hundred  tons  each,  and  eighteen  vessels 
of  two  hundred  and  fifty  tons  each. 

The  United  States  naval  authorities  decided  that 
heavy  batteries  should  be  placed  on  all  the  revenue 
cutters  built  within  the  previous  twelve  months,  and 


THE    PRELIMINARIES.  23 

large  quantities  of  high  explosives  were  shipped  in 
every  direction. 

During  the  early  days  of  March,  Seflor  Gullon, 
Spanish  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  intimated  to 
Minister  Woodford  that  the  Spanish  government 
desired  the  recall  from  Havana  of  Consul-General 
Lee. 

Spain  also  intimated  that  the  American  war-ships, 
which  had  been  designated  to  convey  supplies  to 
Cuba  for  the  relief  of  the  sufferers  there,  should  be 
replaced  by  merchant  vessels,  in  order  to  deprive  the 
assistance  sent  to  the  reconcentrados  of  an  official 
character. 

Minister  Woodford  cabled  such  requests  to  the 
government  at  Washington,  to  which  it  replied  by 
refusing  to  recall  General  Lee  under  the  present  cir- 
cumstances, or  to  countermand  the  orders  for  the 
despatch  of  war-vessels,  making  the  representation 
that  relief  vessels  are  not  fighting  ships. 

March  5.  Secretary  Long  closed  a  contract  for  the 
delivery  at  Key  West,  within  forty  days,  of  four  hun- 
dred thousand  tons  of  coal.  Work  was  begun  upon  the 
old  monitors,  which  for  years  had  been  lying  at  League 
Island  navy  yard,  Philadelphia.  Orders  were  sent  to 
the  Norfolk  navy  yard  to  concentrate  all  the  energies 
and  fidelities  of  the  yard  on  the  cruiser  Newark^  to  the 
end  that  she  might  be  ready  for  service  within  sixty 
days. 

March  6.     The   President   made  a  public  statement 


24  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

that  under  no  circumstances  would  Consul-General 
Fitzhugh  Lee  be  recalled  at  the  request  of  Spain. 
He  had  borne  himself,  so  it  was  stated  from  the 
White  House,  throughout  the  crisis  with  judgment, 
fidelity,  and  courage,  to  the  President's  entire  satisfac- 
tion. As  to  supplies  for  the  relief  of  the  Cuban 
people,  all  arrangements  had  been  made  to  carry  con- 
signments at  once  from  Key  West  by  one  of  the  naval 
vessels,  whichever  might  be  best  adapted  and  most 
available  for  the  purpose,  to  Matanzas  and  Sagua. 

March  6.  Chairman  Cannon  of  the  House  appro- 
priations committee  introduced  a  resolution  that  fifty 
millions  of  dollars  be  appropriated  for  the  national  de- 
fence. It  was  passed  almost  immediately,  without  a 
single  negative  vote. 

Significant  was  the  news  of  the  day.  The  cruiser 
Montgomery  had  been  ordered  to  Havana.  Brigadier- 
General  Wilson,  chief  of  the  engineers  of  the  army, 
arrived  at  Key  West  from  Tampa  with  his  corps  of 
men,  who  were  in  charge  of  locating  and  firing  submarine 
mines. 

March  10.  The  newly  appointed  Spanish  minister 
arrived  at  Washington. 

March  n.  The  House  committee  on  naval  affairs 
authorised  the  immediate  construction  of  three  battle- 
ships, one  to  be  named  the  Maine,  and  provided  for  an 
increase  of  473  men  in  the  marine  force. 

The  despatch-boat  Fern  sailed  for  Matanzas  with 
supplies  for  the  relief  of  starving  Cubans. 


THE    PRELIMINARIES.  25 

News  by  cable  was  received  from  the  Philippine 
Islands  to  the  effect  that  the  rebellion  there  had 
broken  out  once  more ;  the  whole  of  the  northern 
province  had  revolted ;  the  inhabitants  refused  to 
pay  taxes,  and  the  insurgents  appeared  to  be  well 
supplied  with  arms  and  ammunition. 

March  12.  Seflor  Bernabe  was  presented  to  Presi- 
dent McKinley,  and  laid  great  stress  upon  the  love 
which  Spain  bore  for  the  United  States. 

March  14.  The  Spanish  flying  squadron,  composed 
of  three  torpedo-boats,  set  sail  from  Cadiz,  bound  for 
Porto  Rico.  Although  this  would  seem  to  be  good 
proof  that  the  Spanish  government  anticipated  war 
with  the  United  States,  Seftor  Bernabe  made  two 
demands  upon  this  government  on  the  day  following 
the  receipt  of  such  news.  The  first  was  that  the 
United  States  fleet  at  Key  West  and  Tortugas  be 
withdrawn,  and  the  second,  that  an  explanation  be 
given  as  to  why  two  war-ships  had  been  purchased 
abroad. 

March  if.  A  bill  was  submitted  to  both  houses  of 
Congress  reorganising  the  army,  and  placing  it  on  a 
war  footing  of  one  hundred  and  four  thousand  men. 
Senator  Proctor  made  a  significant  speech  in  the 
Senate,  on  the  condition  of  affairs  in  Cuba.  He 
announced  himself  as  being  opposed  to  annexation, 
and  declared  that  the  Cubans  were  "suffering  under 
the  worst  misgovernment  in  the  world."  The  public 
generally  accepted  his  remarks  as  having  been  sane- 


26  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

tioned  by  the  President,  and  understood  them  as 
indicating  that  this  country  should  recognise  the  inde- 
pendence of  Cuba  on  the  ground  that  the  people  are 
capable  of  self-government,  and  that  under  no  other 
conditions  could  peace  or  prosperity  be  restored  in  the 
island. 

March  17.  The  more  important  telegraphic  news 
from  Spain  was  to  the  effect  that  the  Minister  of 
Marine  had  cabled  the  commander  of  the  torpedo 
flotilla  at  the  Canaries  not  to  proceed  to  Havana ; 
that  the  government  arsenal  was  being  run  night  and 
day  in  the  manufacture  of  small  arms,  and  that  in- 
fantry and  cavalry  rifles  were  being  purchased  in 
Germany. 

The  United  States  revenue  cutter  cruiser  McCulloch 
was  ordered  to  proceed  from  Aden,  in  the  Red  Sea,  to 
Hongkong,  in  order  that  she  might  be  attached  to  the 
Asiatic  squadron,  if  necessary. 

March  18.  The  cruiser  Amazonas,  purchased  from 
the  Brazilian  government,  was  formally  transferred  to 
the  United  States  at  Gravesend,  England,  to  be  known 
in  the  future  as  the  New  Orleans. 

March  19.  The  Maine  court  of  inquiry  concluded 
its  work.  The  general  sentiments  of  the  people,  as 
voiced  by  the  newspapers,  were  that  war  with  Spain 
was  near  at  hand,  and  this  belief  was  strengthened 
March  24th,  when  authority  was  given  by  the  Navy 
Department  for  unlimited  enlistment  in  all  grades  of 
the  service,  when  the  revenue  service  was  transferred 


THE    PRELIMINARIES.  27 

from  the  Treasury  to  the  Naval  Department,  and 
arrangements  made  for  the  quick  employment  of  the 
National  Guards  of  the  States  and  Territories. 

March  24.  The  report  of  the  Maine  court  of  inquiry 
arrived  at  Washington. 

March  27.  Madrid  correspondents  of  Berlin  news- 
papers declared  that  war  with  the  United  States  was 
next  to  certain.  The  United  States  cruisers  San 
Francisco  and  New  Orleans  sailed  from  England  for 
New  York,  and  the  active  work  of  mining  the  harbours 
of  the  United  States  coast  was  begun. 

March  28,  The  President  sent  to  Congress,  with  a 
message,  the  report  of  the  Maine  court  of  inquiry,  as 
has  been  stated  in  a  previous  chapter. 

March  29.  Resolutions  declaring  war  on  Spain,  and 
recognising  the  independence  of  Cuba,  were  introduced 
in  both  houses  of  Congress. 

With  the  beginning  of  April  it  was  to  the  public 
generally  as  if  the  war  had  already  begun. 

In  every  city,  town,  or  hamlet  throughout  the 
country  the  newspapers  were  scanned  eagerly  for  notes 
of  warlike  preparation,  and  from  Washington,  sent  by 
those  who  were  in  position  to  know  what  steps  were 
being  taken  by  the  government,  came  information 
which  dashed  the  hopes  of  those  who  had  been  praying 
that  peace  might  not  be  broken. 

There  had  been  a  conference  between  the  President, 
the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury,  and  the  chairman  of 
the  committee  on  ways  and  means,  regarding  the  best 


28  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

methods  of  raising  funds  for  the  carrying  on  of  a  war. 
A  joint  board  of  the  army  and  navy  had  met  to  formu- 
late plans  of  defence,  and  a  speedy  report  was  made  to 
Secretary  Long. 

Instructions  were  sent  by  the  State  Department  to 
all  United  States  consuls  in  Cuba  to  be  prepared 
to  leave  the  island  at  any  moment,  and  to  hold  them- 
selves in  readiness  to  proceed  to  Havana  in  order  to 
embark  for  the  United  States. 

April  2.  A  gentleman  in  touch  with  public  affairs 
wrote  from  Washington  as  follows  : 

"  To-day's  developments  show  that  there  is  only  the 
very  faintest  hope  of  peace.  Unless  Spain  yields  war 
must  come.  The  administration  realises  that  as  fully 
as  do  members  of  Congress. 

"The  orders  sent  by  the  State  Department  to  all 
our  consuls  in  Cuba,  especially  those  in  the  interior, 
to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  to  leave  their  positions 
and  proceed  to  Havana,  show  that  the  department 
looks  upon  war  as  a  certainty,  and  has  taken  all  proper 
precautions  for  the  safety  of  its  agents. 

"  Such  an  order,  it  is  unnecessary  to  say,  would  not 
have  been  issued  unless  a  crisis  was  imminent,  and  the 
State  Department,  as  well  as  other  branches  of  the 
government,  has  now  become  convinced  that  peace 
cannot  much  longer  be  maintained,  and  that  the  safety 
of  the  consular  agents  is  a  first  consideration. 

"  General  Lee  has  also  been  advised  that  he  should 
be  ready  to  leave  as  soon  as  notified,  and  that  the 


THE    PRELIMINARIES.  2Q 

American  newspaper  correspondents  now  in  Havana 
must  prepare  themselves  to  receive  the  notification  of 
instant  departure. 

"The  Secretary  of  the  Navy  has  instructed  the 
Boston  Towboat  Company,  which  corporation  had 
charge  of  the  wrecking  operations  on  the  U.  S.  S. 
Maine,  to  suspend  work  at  once.  The  Secretary  of 
War  has  authorised  an  allotment  of  one  million  dol- 
lars from  the  emergency  fund  for  the  office  of  the 
chief  of  engineers,  and  this  amount  will  be  expended 
in  purchasing  material  for  the  torpedo  defences  con- 
nected with  the  seacoast  fortifications.  The  United 
States  naval  attach^  at  London  has  purchased  a 
cruiser  of  eighteen  hundred  tons  displacement,  cap- 
able of  a  speed  of  sixteen  knots,  and  the  vessel  will 
put  to  sea  immediately.  The  Spanish  torpedo  flotilla 
is  reported  as  having  arrived  at  the  Cape  Verde 
Islands." 

April  4.  Senators  Perkins,  Mantle,  and  Rawlins 
spoke  in  the  Senate,  charging  Spain  with  the  murder 
of  the  sailors  of  the  Maine,  claiming  that  it  was  prop- 
erly an  act  of  war,  and  insisting  that  the  United  States 
should  declare  for  the  independence  of  Cuba  and  armed 
intervention. 

April  5.  Senator  Chandler  announced  as  his  belief 
that  the  United  States  was  justified  in  beginning  hos- 
tilities, and  Senators  Kenny,  Turpie,  and  Turner  made 
powerful  speeches  in  the  same  line,  fiercely  denouncing 
Spain.  General  Woodford  was  instructed  by  cable  to 


30  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

be  prepared  to  ask  of  the  Madrid  government  his 
passports  at  any  moment. 

Marine  underwriters,  believing  that  war  was  inevi- 
table, doubled  their  rates.  The  merchants  and  manu- 
facturers' board  of  trade  of  New  York  notified  Congress 
and  the  President  that  it  believed  Spain  was  responsible 
for  the  blowing  up  of  the  Maine ;  that  the  independ- 
ence of  Cuba  should  be  recognised,  and  that  it  should 
be  brought  about  by  force  of  arms,  if  necessary. 

April  7.  The  representatives  of  six  great  powers 
met  at  the  White  House  in  the  hope  of  being  able 
to  influence  the  President  for  peace.  In  closing  his 
address  to  the  diplomats,  Mr.  McKinley  said  : 

"The  government  of  the  United  States  appreciates 
the  humanitarian  and  disinterested  character  of  the 
communication  now  made  in  behalf  of  the  powers 
named,  and  for  its  part  is  confident  that  equal  appre- 
ciation will  be  shown  for  its  own  earnest  and  unselfish 
endeavours  to  fulfil  a  duty  to  humanity  by  ending  a 
situation,  the  indefinite  prolongation  of  which  has 
become  insufferable."  . 

Americans  made  haste  to  leave  Cuba,  after  learning 
that  Consul-General  Lee  had  received  orders  to  set  sail 
from  Havana  on  or  before  the  ninth.  The  American 
consul  at  Santiago  de  Cuba  closed  the  consulate  in  that 
city. 

Solomon  Berlin,  appointed  consul  at  the  Canary 
Islands,  was,  by  the  State  Department,  ordered  not 


MAJOR-GENERAL    FITZHUGH    LEE. 


THE    PRELIMINARIES.  31 

to  proceed  to  his  post,  and  he  remained  at  New 
York. 

The  Spanish  consul  at  Tampa,  Florida,  left  that  town 
for  Washington,  by  order  of  his  government. 

The  following  cablegram  gives  a  good  idea  of  the 
temper  of  the  Spanish  people : 

"  London,  April  7.  —  A  special  dispatch  from  Madrid 
says  that  the  ambassadors  of  France,  Germany,  Russia, 
and  Italy  waited  together  this  evening  upon  Sefior 
Gullon,  the  Foreign  Minister,  and  presented  a  joint 
note  in  the  interests  of  peace. 

"  Sefior  Gullon,  replying,  declared  that  the  members 
of  the  Spanish  Cabinet  were  unanimous  in  considering 
that  Spain  had  reached  the  limit  of  international  policy 
in  the  direction  of  conceding  the  demands  and  allowing 
the  pretensions  of  the  United  States." 

April  9.  Guards  about  the  United  States  legation 
in  Madrid  were  trebled.  General  Blanco,  captain-gen^ 
eral  of  Cuba,  issued  a  draft  order  calling  on  every  able- 
bodied  man,  between  the  ages  of  nineteen  and  forty,  to 
register  for  immediate  military  duty.  At  ten  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  Consul-General  Lee,  accompanied  by 
British  Consul  Gollan,  called  on  General  Blanco  to  bid 
him  good-bye.  The  captain-general  was  too  busy  to 
receive  visitors.  General  Lee  left  the  island  at  six 
o'clock  in  the  evening. 

April  ii.     The  President  sent  a  message,  together 


32  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

with  Consul  Lee's  report,  to  the  Congress,  and  Senator 
Chandler  thus  analysed  it : 

First:  A  graphic  and  powerful  description  of  the 
horrible  condition  of  affairs  in  Cuba. 

Second:  An  assertion  that  the  independence  of  the 
revolutionists  should  not  be  recognised  until  Cuba  has 
achieved  its  own  independence  beyond  the  possibility 
of  overthrow. 

Third:  An  argument  against  the  recognition  of  the 
Cuban  republic. 

Fourth:  As  to  intervention  in  the  interest  of  hu- 
manity, that  is  well  enough,  and  also  on  account  of 
the  injury  to  commerce  and  peril  to  our  citizens,  and 
the  generally  uncomfortable  conditions  all  around. 

Fifth :  Illustrative  of  these  uncomfortable  conditions 
is  the  destruction  of  the  Maine.  It  helps  make  the 
existing  situation  intolerable.  But  Spain  proposes  an 
arbitration,  to  which  proposition  the  President  has  no 
reply. 

Sixth :  On  the  whole,  as  the  war  goes  on  and  Spain 
cannot  end  it,  mediation  or  intervention  must  take, 
place.  President  Cleveland  said  "  intervention  would 
finally  be  necessary."  The  enforced  pacification  of 
Cuba  must  come.  The  war  must  stop.  Therefore, 
the  President  should  be  authorised  to  terminate  hostili- 
ties, secure  peace,  and  establish  a  stable  government, 
and  to  use  the  military  and  naval  forces  of  the  United 
States  to  accomplish  these  results,  and  food  supplies 
should  also  be  furnished  by  the  United  States. 


THE    PRELIMINARIES.  33 

April  12.  Consul-General  Lee  was  summoned  before 
the  Senate  committee  on  foreign  relations.  It  was 
announced  that  the  Republican  members  of  the 
ways  and  means  committee  had  agreed  upon  a  plan 
for  raising  revenue  in  case  of  need  to  carry  on  war 
with  Spain.  The  plan  was  intended  to  raise  more  than 
£  1 00,000,000  additional  revenue  annually,  and  was 
thus  distributed  : 

An  additional  tax  on  beer  of  one  dollar  per  barrel, 
estimated  to  yield  £35,000,000;  a  bank  stamp  tax 
on  the  lines  of  the  law  of  1866,  estimated  to  yield 
$30,000,000 ;  a  duty  of  three  cents  per  pound  on 
coffee,  and  ten  cents  per  pound  on  tea  on  hand  in  the 
United  States,  estimated  to  yield  $28,000,000 ;  addi- 
tional tax  on  tobacco,  expected  to  yield  $15,000,000. 

The  committee  also  agreed  to  authorise  the  issuing 
of  $500,000,000  bonds.  These  bonds  to  be  offered 
for  sale  at  all  post-offices  in  the  United  States  in 
amounts  of  fifty  dollars  each,  making  a  great  popu- 
lar loan  to  be  absorbed  by  the  people. 

To  tide  over  emergencies,  the  Secretary  of  the  Treas- 
ury to  be  authorised  to  issue  treasury  certificates. 

These  certificates  or  debentures  to  be  used  to  pay 
running  expenses  when  the  revenues  do  not  meet  the 
expenditures. 

These  preparations  were  distinctly  war  measures, 
and  would  be  put  in  operation  only  should  war 
occur. 


34  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

April  /j.  The  House  of  Representatives  passed  the 
following  resolutions  : 

Whereas,  the  government  of  Spain  for  three  years 
past  has  been  waging  war  on  the  island  of  Cuba 
against  a  revolution  by  the  inhabitants  thereof,  with- 
out making  any  substantial  progress  toward  the 
suppression  of  said  revolution,  and  has  conducted 
the  warfare  in  a  manner  contrary  to  the  laws  of 
nations  by  methods  inhuman  and  uncivilised,  causing 
the  death  by  starvation  of  more  than  two  hundred 
thousand  innocent  non-combatants,  the  victims  being 
for  the  most  part  helpless  women  and  children,  inflict- 
ing intolerable  injury  to  the  commercial  interests  of 
the  United  States,  involving  the  destruction  of  the 
lives  and  property  of  many  of  our  citizens,  entailing 
the  expenditure  of  millions  of  money  in  patrolling  our 
coasts  and  policing  the  high  seas  in  order  to  maintain 
our  neutrality ;  and, 

Whereas,  this  long  series  of  losses,  injuries,  and 
burdens  for  which  Spain  is  responsible  has  culminated 
in  the  destruction  of  the  United  States  battle-ship 
Maine  in  the  harbour  of  Havana,  and  the  death  of 
two  hundred  and  sixty-six  of  our  seamen,  — 

Resolved,  That  the  President  is  hereby  authorised 
and  directed  to  intervene  at  once  to  stop  the  war  in 
Cuba,  to  the  end  and  with  the  purpose  of  securing 
permanent  peace  and  order  there,  and  establishing  by 
the  free  action  of  the  people  there  of  a  stable  and 
independent  government  of  their  own  in  the  island 


THE    PRELIMINARIES.  35 

of  Cuba  ;  and  the  President  is  hereby  authorised  and 
empowered  to  use  the  land  and  naval  forces  of  the 
United  States  to  execute  the  purpose  of  this 
resolution. 

In  the  Senate  the  majority  resolution  reported : 

Whereas,  the  abhorrent  conditions  which  have 
existed  for  more  than  three  years  in  the  island  of 
Cuba,  so  near  our  own  borders,  have  been  a  disgrace 
to  Christian  civilisation,  culminating  as  they  have  in 
the  destruction  of  a  United  States  battle-ship  with  two 
hundred  and  sixty-six  of  its  officers  and  crew,  while  on 
a  friendly  visit  in  the  harbour  of  Havana,  and  cannot 
longer  be  endured,  as  has  been  set  forth  by  the 
President  of  the  United  States  in  his  message  to 
Congress  on  April  n,  1898,  upon  which  the  action 
of  Congress  was  invited  ;  therefore, 

Resolved,  First,  that  the  people  of  the  island  of 
Cuba  are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be,  free  and  inde- 
pendent. 

Second,  That  it  is  the  duty  of  the  United  States  to 
demand,  and  the  government  of  the  United  States  does 
hereby  demand,  that  the  government  of  Spain  at  once 
relinquish  its  authority  and  government  in  the  island  of 
Cuba,  and  withdraw  its  land  and  naval  forces  from 
Cuba  and  Cuban  waters. 

Third,  That  the  President  of  the  United  States  be, 
and  he  hereby  is,  directed  and  empowered  to  use  the 
entire  land  and  naval  forces  of  the  United  States,  and 
to  call  into  the  actual  service  of  the  United  States  the 


36  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

militia  of  the  several  States  to  such  extent  as  may  be 
necessary,  to  carry  these  resolutions  into  effect. 

April  14.  The  Spanish  minister  at  Washington 
sealed  his  archives  and  placed  them  in  the  charge 
of  the  French  ambassador,  M.  Cambon.  The  queen 
regent  of  Spain,  at  a  Cabinet  meeting,  signed  a  call  for 
the  Cortes  to  meet  on  the  twentieth  of  the  month,  and 
a  decree  opening  a  national  subscription  for  increasing 
the  navy  and  other  war  services. 

April  75.  The  United  States  consulate  at  Malaga, 
Spain,  was  attacked  by  a  mob,  and  the  shield  torn 
down  and  trampled  upon. 

April  77.  The  Spanish  committee  of  inquiry  into 
the  destruction  of  the  Maine  reported  that  the  explo- 
sion could  not  have  been  caused  by  a  torpedo  or  a 
mine  of  any  kind,  because  no  trace  of  anything  was 
found  to  justify  such  a  conclusion.  It  gave  the  testi- 
mony of  two  eye-witnesses  to  the  catastrophe,  who 
swore  that  there  was  absolutely  no  disturbance  on 
the  surface  of  the  harbour  around  the  Maine.  The 
committee  gave  great  stress  to  the  fact  that  the  ex- 
plosion did  no  damage  to  the  quays,  and  none  to  the 
vessels  moored  close  to  the  Maine,  whose  officers  and 
crews  noticed  nothing  that  could  lead  them  to  suppose 
that  the  disaster  was  caused  otherwise  than  by  an  acci- 
dent inside  the  American  vessel. 

April  18.  Congress  passed  the  Senate  resolution, 
as  given  above,  with  an  additional  clause  as  follows  : 


THE    PRELIMINARIES. 


37 


Fourth,  That  the  United  States  hereby  disclaim  any 
disposition  or  intention  to  exercise  sovereignty,  juris- 
diction or  control  over  said  island,  except  for  the 
pacification  thereof ;  and  asserts  its  determination, 
when  that  is  accomplished,  to  leave  the  government 
and  control  of  the  island  to  its  people. 


CHAPTER   III. 

A    DECLARATION    OF    WAR. 

ALL  that  had  been  done  by  the  governments  of  the 
United  States  and  of  Spain  was  indicative  of  war, 
—  it  was  virtually  a  declaration  that  an  appeal  would 
be  made  to  arms. 

April  20.  Preparations  were  making  in  each  country 
for  actual  hostilities,  and  the  American  people  were 
prepared  to  receive  the  statement  made  by  a  gentleman 
in  close  touch  with  high  officials,  when  he  wrote : 

"  The  United  States  has  thrown  down  the  gage  of 
battle  and  Spain  has  picked  it  up. 

"The  signing  by  the  President  of  the  joint  resolu- 
tions instructing  him  to  intervene  in  Cuba  was  no 
sooner  communicated  to  the  Spanish  minister  than  he 
immediately  asked  the  State  Department  to  furnish 
him  with  his  passports. 

"  It  was  defiance,  prompt  and  direct. 

"  It  was  the  shortest  and  quickest  manner  for  Spain 
to  answer  our  ultimatum. 

"  Nominally  Spain  has  three  days  in  which  to  make 
her  reply.  Actually  that  reply  has  already  been 
delivered. 


A    DECLARATION    OF    WAR.  39 

"When  a  nation  withdraws  her  minister  from  the 
territory  of  another  it  is  an  open  announcement  to 
the  world  that  all  friendly  relations  have  terminated. 

"  Answers  to  ultimatums  have  before  this  been 
returned  at  the  cannon's  mouth.  First  the  minister 
is  withdrawn,  then  comes  the  firing.  Spain  is  ready 
to  speak  through  shotted  guns. 

"  And  the  United  States  is  ready  to  answer,  gun  for 
gun. 

"The  queen  regent  opened  the  Cortes  in  Madrid 
yesterday,  saying,  in  her  speech  from  the  throne :  '  I 
have  summoned  the  Cortes  to  defend  our  rights,  what- 
ever sacrifice  they  may  entail,  trusting  to  the  Spanish 
people  to  gather  behind  my  son's  throne.  With  our 
glorious  army,  navy,  and  nation  united  before  foreign 
aggression,  we  trust  in  God  that  we  shall  overcome, 
without  stain  on  our  honour,  the  baseless  and  unjust 
attacks  made  on  us.' 

"  Orders  were  sent  last  night  to  Captain  Sampson  at 
Key  West  to  have  all  the  vessels  of  his  fleet  under  full 
steam,  ready  to  move  immediately  upon  orders." 

The  Spanish  minister,  accompanied  by  six  members 
of  his  staff,  departed  from  Washington  during  the 
evening,  after  having  made  a  hurried  call  at  the  French 
embassy  and  the  Austrian  legation,  where  Spanish 
interests  were  left  in  charge,  having  announced  that  he 
would  spend  several  days  in  Toronto,  Canada. 

April  21.  The  ultimatum  of  the  United  States  was 
received  at  Madrid  early  in  the  morning,  and  the  gov- 


4-O  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

ernment  immediately  broke  off  diplomatic  relations  by 
sending  the  following  communication  to  Minister 
Woodford,  before  he  could  present  any  note  from 
Washington  : 

"Dear  Sir:  —  In  compliance  with  a  painful  duty,  I 
have  the  honour  to  inform  you  that  there  has  been 
sanctioned  by  the  President  of  the  republic  a  resolu- 
tion of  both  chambers  of  the  United  States,  which 
denies  the  legitimate  sovereignty  of  Spain  and  threat- 
ens armed  intervention  in  Cuba,  which  is  equivalent  to 
a.  declaration  of  war. 

"The  government  of  her  majesty  have  ordered  her 
minister  to  return  without  loss  of  time  from  North 
American  territory,  together  with  all  the  personnel  of 
the  legation. 

"By  this  act  the  diplomatic  relations  hitherto  exist- 
ing between  the  two  countries,  and  all  official  commu- 
nication between  their  respective  representatives,  cease. 

"  I  am  obliged  thus  to  inform  you,  so  that  you  may 
make  such  arrangements  as  you  think  fit.  I  beg  your 
excellency  to  acknowledge  receipt  of  this  note  at  such 
time  as  you  deem  proper,  taking  this  opportunity  to 
reiterate  to  you  the  assurances  of  my  distinguished 

consideration. 

(Signed)     "  H.  GULLON." 

Relative  to  the  ultimatum  and  its  reception,  the 
government  of  this  country  gave  out  the  following 
information : 


A    DECLARATION    OF   WAR.  41 

"  On  yesterday,  April  20,  1898,  about  one  o'clock  P.M., 
the  Department  of  State  served  notice  of  the  purposes 
of  this  government  by  delivering  to  Minister  Polo  a 
copy  of  an  instruction  to  Minister  Woodford,  and  also 
a  copy  of  the  resolutions  passed  by  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States  on  the  nineteenth  instant.  After  the 
receipt  of  this  notice  the  Spanish  minister  forwarded 
to  the  State  Department  a  request  for  his  passports, 
which  were  furnished  him  on  yesterday  afternoon. 

"Copies  of  the  instructions  to  Woodford  are  here- 
with appended.  The  United  States  minister  at  Madrid 
was  at  the  same  time  instructed  to  make  a  like  com- 
munication to  the  Spanish  government. 

"This  morning  the  Department  received  from 
General  Woodford  a  telegram,  a  copy  of  which  is 
hereunto  attached,  showing  that  the  Spanish  govern- 
ment had  broken  off  diplomatic  relations  with  this 
government. 

"This  course  renders  unnecessary  any  further  dip- 
lomatic action  on  the  part  of  the  United  States. 

" '  April  20,  1 898. 

"  '  Woodford,  Minister,  Madrid:  —  You  have  been 
furnished  with  the  text  of  a  joint  resolution,  voted  by 
the  Congress  of  the  United  States  on  the  nineteenth 
instant,  approved  to-day,  in  relation  to  the  pacifica- 
tion of  the  island  of  Cuba.  In  obedience  to  that  act, 
the  President  directs  you  to  immediately  communicate 
to  the  government  of  Spain  said  resolution,  with  the 


42  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

formal  demand  of  the  government  of  the  United  States, 
that  the  government  of  Spain  at  once  relinquish  her 
authority  and  government  in  the  island  of  Cuba,  and 
withdraw  her  land  and  naval  forces  from  Cuba  and 
Cuban  waters. 

"  '  In  taking  this  step,  the  United  States  disclaims 
any  disposition  or  intention  to  exercise  sovereignty, 
jurisdiction,  or  control  over  said  island,  except  for  the 
pacification  thereof,  and  asserts  its  determination  when 
that  is  accomplished  to  leave  the  government  and  con- 
trol of  the  island  to  its  people  under  such  free  and 
independent  government  as  they  may  establish. 

" '  If,  by  the  hour  of  noon  on  Saturday  next,  the 
twenty-third  day  of  April,  there  be  not  communicated 
to  this  government  by  that  of  Spain  a  full  and  satisfac- 
tory response  to  this  demand  and  resolutions,  whereby 
the  ends  of  peace  in  Cuba  shall  be  assured,  the  Presi- 
dent will  proceed  without  further  notice  to  use  the  power 
and  authority  enjoined  and  conferred  upon  him  by  the 
said  joint  resolution  to  such  an  extent  as  may  be 
necessary  to  carry  the  same  into  effect. 

" '  SHERMAN.' 

"This  is  Woodford's  telegram  of  this  morning: 

"'MADRID,  April  21.    (Received  at  9.02  A.M.) 
"'To  Sherman,    Washington: — Early   this   morning 
(Tuesday),  immediately  after  the  receipt  of  your  tele- 
gram,  and    before  I    communicated   the    same  to  the 


A    DECLARATION    OF    WAR.  43 

Spanish  government,  the  Spanish  Minister  for  Foreign 
Affairs  notified  me  that  diplomatic  relations  are  broken 
between  the  two  countries,  and  that  all  official  com- 
munication between  the  respective  representatives  has 
ceased.  I  accordingly  asked  for  my  passports.  Have 
turned  the  legation  over  to  the  British  embassy,  and 
leave  for  Paris  this  afternoon.  Have  notified  consuls. 

" '  WOODFORD.'  " 

The  Spanish  newspapers  applauded  the  "  energy  "  of 
their  government,  and  printed  the  paragraph  inserted 
below  as  a  semi-official  statement  from  the  throne : 

"The  Spanish  government  having  received  the  ulti- 
matum of  the  President  of  the  United  States,  considers 
that  the  document  constitutes  a  declaration  of  war 
against  Spain,  and  that  the  proper  form  to  be  adopted 
is  not  to  make  any  further  reply,  but  to  await  the 
expiration  of  the  time  mentioned  in  the  ultimatum 
before  opening  hostilities.  In  the  meantime  the  Span- 
ish authorities  have  placed  their  possessions  in  a  state 
of  defence,  and  their  fleet  is  already  on  its  way  to  meet 
that  of  the  United  States." 

April  21.  General  Woodford  left  Madrid  late  in  the 
afternoon,  and  although  an  enormous  throng  of  citizens 
were  gathered  at  the  railway  station  to  witness  his 
departure,  no  indignities  were  attempted.  The  people 
of  Madrid  professed  the  greatest  enthusiasm  for  war, 
and  the  general  opinion  among  the  masses  was  that 
Spain  would  speedily  vanquish  the  United  States. 


44  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

In  Havana,  in  response  to  the  manifesto  from  the 
palace,  the  citizens  began  early  to  decorate  the  public 
buildings  and  many  private  residences,  balconies,  and 
windows  with  the  national  colours.  A  general  illumina- 
tion followed,  as  on  the  occasion  of  a  great  national 
festivity.  Early  in  the  evening  no  less  than  eight 
thousand  demonstrators  filled  the  square  opposite  the 
palace,  a  committee  entering  and  tendering  to  the 
captain-general,  in  the  name  of  all,  their  estates,  prop- 
erty, and  lives  in  aid  of  the  government,  and  pledging 
their  readiness  to  fight  the  invader. 

General  Blanco  thanked  them  in  the  name  of  the 
king,  the  queen  regent  and  the  imperial  and  colonial 
governments,  assuring  them  that  he  would  do  every- 
thing in  his  power  to  prevent  the  invaders  from  setting 
foot  in  Cuba.  "  Otherwise  I  shall  not  live,"  he  said,  in 
conclusion.  "  Do  you  swear  to  follow  me  to  the  fight  ?  " 

"  Yes,  yes,  we  do  !  "  the  crowd  answered. 

"  Do  you  swear  to  give  the  last  drop  of  blood  in 
your  veins  before  letting  a  foreigner  step  his  foot  on 
the  land  we  discovered,  and  place  his  yoke  upon  the 
people  we  civilised  ? " 

"  Yes,  yes,  we  do  !  " 

"  The  enemy's  fleet  is  almost  at  Morro  Castle,  almost 
at  the  doors  of  Havana,"  General  Blanco  added.  "They 
have  money ;  but  we  have  blood  to  shed,  and  we  are 
ready  to  shed  it.  We  will  throw  them  into  the  sea !  " 

The  people  interrupted  him  with  cries  of  applause, 
and  he  finished  his  speech  by  shouting  "  Viva  Espana  !  " 


CAPTAIN-GENERAL    BLANCO. 


A    DECLARATION    OF   WAR.  45 

"  Viva  el  Rey  /  "  "  Long  live  the  army,  the  navy,  and  the 
volunteers !  " 

The  Congress  of  the  United  States  passed  a  joint 
resolution  authorising  the  President,  in  his  discretion, 
to  prohibit  the  exportation  of  coal  and  other  war  ma- 
terial. The  measure  was  of  great  importance,  because 
through  it  was  prevented  the  shipment  of  coal  to  ports 
in  the  West  Indies  where  it  might  be  used  by  Spain. 

April  22.  At  half  past  five  o'clock  in  the  morning 
the  vessels  composing  the  North  Atlantic  Squadron  put 
to  sea  from  Key  West.  The  flag-ship  New  York  led 
the  way.  Close  behind  her  steamed  the  Iowa  and  the 
Indiana.  Following  the  war-ships  came  the  gunboat 
Machias,  and  then  the  Newport.  The  Amphitrite,  {he 
first  of  the  fleet,  lying  close  to  shore,  steamed  out  after 
the  Mac/iias,  and  then  followed  in  order  the  Nashville, 
the  Wilmington,  the  Castine,  the  Cincinnati,  and  the 
other  boats  of  the  fleet,  save  the  monitors  Terror  and 
Puritan,  which  were  coaling,  the  cruiser  Marblehead, 
the  despatch-boat  Dolphin,  and  the  gunboat  Helena. 

After  getting  out  of  sight  of  land  the  flag  of  a  rear- 
admiral  was  hoisted  over  the  New  York,  indicating  to 
the  fleet  that  Captain  Sampson  was  acting  as  a  rear- 
admiral.  When  in  the  open  sea  the  fleet  was  divided 
into  three  divisions.  The  New  York,  Iowa,  and  Indi- 
ana had  the  position  of  honour.  Stretching  out  to  the 
right  were  the  Montgomery,  Wilmington,  Newport,  and 
smaller  craft ;  to  the  left  was  the  Nashville  in  the  lead, 


46  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

followed  by  the  Cincinnati,  Castine,  Machias,  Mayflower, 
and  some  of  the  torpedo-boats. 

At  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  first  gun  of  the 
war  was  fired.  The  Nashville,  which  had  been  sailing 
at  about  six  knots  an  hour,  in  obedience  to  orders, 
suddenly  swung  out  of  line.  Clouds  of  black  smoke 
poured  from  her  long,  slim  stacks,  her  speed  was  grad- 
ually increased  until  the  water  ascended  in  fine  spray 
on  each  side  of  the  bow,  and  behind  her  trailed  out  a 
long,  creamy  streak  on  the  quiet  waters. 

She  was  headed  for  a  Spanish  merchantman,  which 
was  then  about  half  a  mile  away,  apparently  paying  no 
heed  to  the  monsters  of  war. 

A  shot  from  one  of  the  4-pounders  was  sent  across 
the  stranger's  bow,  and  then,  no  attention  having  been 
paid  to  it,  a  6-inch  gun  was  discharged.  This  last  shot 
struck  the  water  and  bounded  along  the  surface  a  mile 
or  more,  sending  up  great  clouds  of  spray. 

The  Spaniard  wisely  concluded  to  heave  to,  and 
within  five  minutes  a  boat  was  lowered  from  the 
Nashville  to  put  on  board  the  first  prize  a  crew  of 
six  men,  under  command  of  Ensign  Magruder. 

The  captured  vessel  was  the  Buena  Ventura,  of  1,741 
tons  burthen ;  laden  with  lumber,  valued  at  eleven 
thousand  dollars,  and  carrying  a  deck -load  of  cattle. 

The  record  of  this  first  day  of  hostilities  was  not  to 
end  with  one  capture. 

Late  in  the  afternoon,  almost  within  gunshot  of  the 
Cuban  shore,  while  the  United  States  fleet  was  stand- 


A    DECLARATION    OF   WAR.  47 

ing  toward  Havana,  with  the  Mayflower  a  mile  or  more 
in  advance  of  the  flag-ship  New  York,  the  merchant 
steamship  Pedro  hove  in  sight.  The  Mayflower  sud- 
denly swung  sharply  to  the  westward,  and  a  moment 
later  a  string  of  butterfly  flags  went  fluttering  to  her 
masthead. 

The  New  York  flung  her  answering  pennant  to  the 
breeze,  and,  making  another  signal  to  the  fleet,  which 
probably  meant  "  Stay  where  you  are  until  I  get  back," 
swung  her  bow  to  the  westward  and  went  racing  for 
the  game  that  the  Mayflower  had  sighted.  The  big 
cruiser  dashed  forward,  smoke  trailing  in  dense  masses 
from  each  of  her  three  big  funnels,  a  hill  of  foam 
around  her  bow,  and  in  her  wake  a  swell  like  a  tidal 
wave.  It  was  a  winning  pace,  and  a  magnificent  sight 
she  presented  as  she  dashed  through  the  choppy  seas 
with  never  an  undulation  of  her  long,  graceful  hull. 

When  she  was  well  inshore  a  puff  of  smoke  came 
from  the  bow  of  the  cruiser,  followed  by  a  dull  report, 
then  another  and  another,  until  four  shots  had  been 
sent  from  one  of  the  small,  rapid-fire  guns.  The  Span- 
ish steamer,  probably  believing  the  pursuing  craft  car- 
ried no  heavier  guns,  was  trying  to  keep  at  a  safe 
distance  until  the  friendly  darkness  of  night  should 
hide  her  from  view.  During  sixty  seconds  or  more  the 
big  cruiser  held  her  course  in  silence,  and  then  her 
entire  bow  was  hidden  from  the  spectators  in  a  swirl 
of  white  smoke  as  a  main  battery  gun  roared  out  its 
demand. 


48  THE    BOYS    OF   '98. 

The  whizzing  shell  spoke  plainly  to  the  Spanish  craft, 
and  had  hardly  more  than  flung  up  a  column  of  water 
a  hundred  yards  or  less  in  front  of  the  merchantman 
before  she  was  hastily  rounded  to  with  her  engines 
reversed. 

A  prize  crew  under  Ensign  Marble  was  thrown  on 
board,  and  the  steamer  Pedro,  twenty-eight  hundred 
tons  burthen,  suddenly  had  a  change  of  commanders. 

April  22.  The  President  issued  a  proclamation 
announcing  a  blockade  of  Cuban  ports,  and  also  signed 
the  bill  providing  for  the  utilising  of  volunteer  forces 
in  times  of  war. 

The  foreign  news  of  immediate  interest  to  the  people 
of  the  United  States  was,  first,  from  Havana,  that 
Captain- General  Blanco  had  published  a  decree  con- 
firming his  previeus  decree,  and  declaring  the  island 
to  be  in  a  state  of  war. 

He  also  annulled  his  former  similar  decrees  grant- 
ing pardon  to  insurgents,  and  placed  under  martial  law 
all  those  who  were  guilty  of  treason,  espionage,  crimes 
against  peace  or  against  the  independence  of  the 
nation,  seditious  revolts,  attacks  against  the  form  of 
government  or  against  the  authorities,  and  against 
those  who  disturb  public  order,  though  only  by  means 
of  printed  matter. 

From  Madrid  came  the  information  that  during  the 
evening  a  throng  of  no  less  than  six  thousand  people, 
carrying  flags  and  shouting  "  Viva  Espana  !  "  "  We  want 
war !  "  and  "  Down  with  the  Yankees  !  "  burned  the  stars 


PREMIER    SAGASTA. 


A    DECLARATION    OF   WAR.  49 

and  stripes  in  front  of  the  residence  of  Sefior  Sagasta, 
the  premier,  who  was  accorded  an  ovation.  The  mob 
then  went  to  the  residence  of  M.  Patenotre,  the  French 
ambassador,  and  insisted  that  he  should  make  his  ap- 
pearance, but  the  French  ambassador  was  not  at  home. 

Correspondents  at  Hongkong  announced  that  Ad- 
miral Dewey  had  ordered  the  commanders  of  the  ves- 
sels composing  his  squadron  to  be  in  readiness  for  an 
immediate  movement  against  the  Philippine  Islands. 

April  23.  The  President  issued  a  proclamation  call- 
ing for  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand  volunteer 
soldiers. 

In  the  new  war  tariff  bill  a  loan  of  $500,000,000  was 
provided  for  in  the  form  of  three  per  cent.  10-20  bonds. 

The  third  capture  of  a  Spanish  vessel  was  made  early 
in  the  morning  by  the  torpedo-boat  Ericsson.  The  fish- 
ing-boat Perdito  was  sighted  making  for  Havana  har- 
bour, and  overhauled  only  when  she  was  directly  under 
the  guns  of  Morro  Castle,  where  a  single  shot  from  the 
fortification  might  have  sunk  either  craft.  After  a 
prize-crew  had  been  put  on  board  Rear-Admiral  Samp- 
son decided  to  turn  her  loose,  and  so  she  was  permitted 
to  return  to  Havana  to  spread  the  news  of  the  blockade. 

During  the  afternoon  the  rum-laden  schooner  Ma- 
thilde  was  taken,  after  a  lively  chase,  by  the  torpedo- 
boat  Porter.  Between  five  and  six  o'clock  in  the 
evening  the  torpedo-boat  Foote,  Lieut.  W.  L.  Rodgers 
commanding,  received  the  first  Spanish  fire. 

She  was  taking  soundings  in  the  harbour  of  Matanzas, 


50  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

and  had  approached  within  two  or  three  hundred  yards 
of  the  shore,  when  suddenly  a  masked  battery  on  the 
east  side  of  the  harbour,  and  not  far  distant  from  the 
Foote,  fired  three  shots  at  the  torpedo-boat.  The 
missiles  went  wide  of  the  mark,  and  the  Foote  leisurely 
returned  to  the  Cincinnati  to  report  the  result  of  her 
work. 

• 

At  Hongkong  the  United  States  consul  notified 
Governor  Blake  of  the  British  colony  that  the  Ameri- 
can fleet  would  leave  the  harbour  in  forty-eight  hours, 
and  that  no  warlike  stores,  or  more  coal  than  would  be 
necessary  to  carry  the  vessels  to  the  nearest  home  port, 
would  be  shipped. 

The  United  States  demanded  of  Portugal,  the  owner 
of  the  Cape  Verde  Islands,  that,  in  accordance  with 
international  law,  she  send  the  Spanish  war-ships  away 
from  St.  Vincent,  or  require  them  to  remain  in  that 
port  during  the  war. 

April  24.  The  following  decree  was  gazetted  in 
Madrid  : 

"  Diplomatic  relations  are  broken  off  between  Spain 
and  the  United  States,  and  a  state  of  war  being  be- 
gun between  the  two  countries,  numerous  questions  of 
international  law  arise,  which  must  be  precisely  defined 
chiefly  because  the  injustice  and  provocation  came 
from  our  adversaries,  and  it  is  they  who  by  their  de- 
testable conduct  have  caused  this  great  conflict." 

The  royal  decree  then  states  that  Spain  maintains 
her  right  to  have  recourse  to  privateering,  and  an- 


A    DECLARATION    OF    WAR.  51 

nounces  that  for  the  present  only  auxiliary  cruisers 
will  be  fitted  out.  All  treaties  with  the  United  States 
are  annulled  ;  thirty  days  are  given  to  American  ships 
to  leave  Spanish  ports,  and  the  rules  Spain  will  observe 
during  the  war  are  outlined  in  five  clauses,  covering 
neutral  flags  and  goods  contraband  of  war  ;  what  will 
be  considered  a  blockade  ;  the  right  of  search,  and  what 
constitutes  contraband  of  war,  ending  with  saying  that 
foreign  privateers  will  be  regarded  as  pirates. 

Continuing,  the  decree  declared  :  "  We  have  ob- 
served with  the  strictest  fidelity  the  principles  of  inter- 
national law,  and  have  shown  the  most  scrupulous 
respect  for  morality  and  the  right  of  government. 

"  There  is  an  opinion  that  the  fact  that  we  have  not 
adhered  to  the  declaration  of  Paris  does  not  exempt  us 
from  the  duty  of  respecting  the  principles  therein 
enunciated.  The  principle  Spain  unquestionably  re- 
fused to  admit  then  was  the  abolition  of  privateering. 

"  The  government  now  considers  it  most  indispen- 
sable to  make  absolute  reserve  on  this  point,  in  order  to 
maintain  our  liberty  of  action  and  uncontested  right 
to  have  recourse  to  privateering  when  we  consider  it 
expedient,  first,  by  organising  immediately  a  force  of 
cruisers,  auxiliary  to  the  navy,  which  will  be  composed 
of  vessels  of  our  mercantile  marine,  and  with  equal 
distinction  in  the  work  of  our  navy. 

"  Clause  i :  The  state  of  war  existing  between  Spain 
and  the  United  States  annuls  the  treaty  of  peace  and 
amity  of  October  27,  1795,  and  the  procotol  of  January 


52  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

12,  1877,  and  all  other  agreements,  treaties,  or  conven- 
tions in  force  between  the  two  countries. 

"  Clause  2 :  From  the  publication  of  these  presents, 
thirty  days  are  granted  to  all  ships  of  the  United  States 
anchored  in  our  harbours  to  take  their  departure  free 
of  hindrance. 

"  Clause  3  :  Notwithstanding  that  Spain  has  not  ad- 
hered to  the  declaration  of  Paris,  the  government, 
respecting  the  principles  of  the  law  of  nations,  proposes 
to  observe,  and  hereby  orders  to  be  observed,  the 
following  regulations  of  maritime  laws  : 

"  One :  Neutral  flags  cover  the  enemy's  merchandise, 
except  contraband  of  war. 

"  Two :  Neutral  merchandise,  except  contraband  of 
war,  is  not  seizable  under  the  enemy's  flag. 

"  Three :  A  blockade,  to  be  obligatory,  must  be 
effective ;  viz.,  it  must  be  maintained  with  sufficient 
force  to  prevent  access  to  the  enemy's  littoral. 

"Fozir:  The  Spanish  government,  upholding  its 
rights  to  grant  letters  of  marque,  will  at  present 
confine  itself  to  organising,  with  the  vessels  of  the 
mercantile  marine,  a  force  of  auxiliary  cruisers  which 
will  cooperate  with  the  navy,  according  to  the  needs  of 
the  campaign,  and  will  be  under  naval  control. 

"  Five :  In  order  to  capture  the  enemy's  ships,  and 
confiscate  the  enemy's  merchandise  and  contraband  of 
war  under  whatever  form,  the  auxiliary  cruisers  will 
exercise  the  right  of  search  on  the  high  seas,  and  in 
the  waters  under  the  enemy's  jurisdiction,  in  accordance 


A    DECLARATION    OF    WAR.  53 

with  international  law  and  the  regulations  which  will 
be  published. 

"  Six :  Defines  what  is  included  in  contraband  of  war, 
naming  weapons,  ammunition,  equipments,  engines,  and, 
in  general,  all  the  appliances  used  in  war. 

"  Seven :  To  be  regarded  and  j  udged  as  pirates,  with 
all  the  rigour  of  the  law,  are  captains,  masters,  officers, 
and  two-thirds  of  the  crew  of  vessels,  which,  not  being 
American,  shall  commit  acts  of  war  against  Spain,  even 
if  provided  with  letters  of  marque  by  the  United  States." 

April  24..  The  U.  S.  S.  Helena  captured  the  steamer 
Miguel Jover.  The  U.  S.  S.  Detroit  captured  the  steamer 
Catalania  ;  the  Wilmington  took  the  schooner  Candidor; 
the  Winona  made  a  prize  of  the  steamer  Saturnia,  and 
the  Terror  brought  in  the  schooners  Saco  and  Tres 
Hermanes. 

April  25.  Early  in  the  day  the  President  sent  the 
following  message  to  Congress  : 

"  I  transmit  to  the  Congress,  for  its  consideration 
and  appropriate  action,  copies  of  correspondence  re- 
cently had  with  the  representatives  of  Spain  and  the 
United  States,  with  the  United  States  minister  at  Ma- 
drid, through  the  latter  with  government  of  Spain,  show- 
ing the  action  taken  under  the  joint  resolution  approved 
April  20,  1898, '  For  the  recognition  of  the  independence 
of  the  people  of  Cuba,  demanding  that  the  government 
of  Spain  relinquish  its  authority  and  government  in  the 
island  of  Cuba,  and  withdraw  its  land  and  naval  forces 


54  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

from  Cuba  and  Cuban  waters,  and  directing  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States  to  carry  these  resolutions 
into  effect.' 

"  Upon  communicating  with  the  Spanish  minister  in 
Washington  the  demand,  which  it  became  the  duty  of 
the  executive  to  address  to  the  government  of  Spain 
in  obedience  with  said  resolution,  the  minister  asked  for 
his  passports  and  withdrew.  The  United  States  minis- 
ter at  Madrid  was  in  turn  notified  by  the  Spanish 
Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs,  that  the  withdrawal  of 
the  Spanish  representative  from  the  United  States 
had  terminated  diplomatic  relations  between  the  two 
countries,  and  that  all  official  communications  between 
their  respective  representatives  ceased  therewith. 

"  I  commend  to  your  especial  attention  the  note 
addressed  to  the  United  States  minister  at  Madrid  by 
the  Spanish  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs  on  the  twenty- 
first  instant,  whereby  the  foregoing  notification  was 
conveyed.  It  will  be  perceived  therefrom,  that  the 
government  of  Spain,  having  cognisance  of  the  joint 
resolution  of  the  United  States  Congress,  and,  in  view 
of  the  things  which  the  President  is  thereby  required 
and  authorised  to  do,  responds  by  treating  the  reason- 
able demands  of  this  government  as  measures  of  hos- 
tility, following  with  that  instant  and  complete  severance 
of  relations  by  its  action,  which  by  the  usage  of  nations 
accompanied  an  existing  state  of  war  between  sovereign 
powers. 

"  The  position  of  Spain  being  thus  made  known,  and 


PRESIDENT    WILLIAM    MCKINLEY. 


A    DECLARATION    OF   WAR.  55 

the  demands  of  the  United  States  being  denied,  with  a 
complete  rupture  of  intercourse  by  the  act  of  Spain,  I 
have  been  constrained,  in  exercise  of  the  power  and 
authority  conferred  upon  me  by  the  joint  resolution 
aforesaid,  to  proclaim  under  date  of  April  22,  1898,  a 
blockade  of  certain  ports  of  the  north  coast  of  Cuba, 
lying  between  Cardenas  and  Bahia  Honda,  and  of  the 
port  of  Cienfuegos  on  the  south  coast  of  Cuba,  and 
further  in  exercise  of  my  constitutional  powers,  and 
using  the  authority  conferred  upon  me  by  act  of  Con- 
gress, approved  April  22,  1898,  to  issue  my  proclama- 
tion, dated  April  23,  1898,  calling  for  volunteers  in 
order  to  carry  into  effect  the  said  resolution  of  April 
20,  1898.  Copies  of  these  proclamations  are  hereto 
appended. 

"  In  view  of  the  measures  so  taken,  and  other  meas- 
ures as  may  be  necessary  to  enable  me  to  carry  out  the 
express  will  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  in 
the  premises,  I  now  recommend  to  your  honourable  body 
the  adoption  of  a  joint  resolution  declaring  that  a  state 
of  war  exists  between  the  United  States  of  America 
and  the  kingdom  of  Spain,  and  I  urge  speedy  action 
thereon  to  the  end  that  the  definition  of  the  interna- 
tional status  of  the  United  States  as  a  belligerent 
power  may  be  made  known,  and  the  assertion  of  all  its 
rights  and  the  maintenance  of  all  its  duties  in  the  con- 
duct of  a  public  war  may  be  assured. 

(Signed)     "  WILLIAM  McKiNLEY. 
"  Executive  Mansion,   Washington,  April  25,  1898." 


56  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

The  war  bill  was  passed  without  delay,  and  immedi- 
ately after  it  had  been  signed  the  following  notice  was 
sent  to  the  representatives  of  the  foreign  nations  : 

"  A  joint  resolution  of  Congress,  approved  April  2Oth, 
directed  intervention  for  the  pacification  and  independ- 
ence of  the  island  of  Cuba.  The  Spanish  government 
on  April  2ist  informed  our  minister  at  Madrid  that  it 
considered  this  resolution  equivalent  to  a  declaration 
of  war,  and  that  it  had  accordingly  withdrawn  its  min- 
ister from  Washington  and  terminated  all  diplomatic 
relations. 

"  Congress  has  therefore,  by  an  act  approved  to-day, 
declared  that  a  state  of  war  exists  between  the  two 
countries  since  and  including  April  2ist. 

"  You  will  inform  the  government  to  which  you  are 
accredited,  so  that  its  neutrality  may  be  assured  in  the 
existing  war." 

Before  the  close  of  the  day  John  Sherman,  Secretary 
of  State,  had  resigned ;  Assistant  Secretary  William 
R.  Day  was  appointed  the  head  of  the  department, 
with  John  B.  Moore  as  his  successor. 

The  United  States  squadron  sailed  from  Hongkong, 
under  orders  to  rendezvous  at  Mirs  Bay,  and  public 
attention  was  turned  towards  Manila,  it  being  believed 
that  there  the  first  action  would  take  place. 

During  the  evening  the  tiny  steamer  Mangrove,  a 
lighthouse  tender,  captured  the  richest  prize  of  the  war 
thus  far,  when  she  hove  to  the  Panama,  a  big  trans- 


A    DECLARATION    OF   WAR.  57 

atlantic  liner,  and  an  auxiliary  cruiser  of  the  Spanish 
navy,  which  had  been  plying  between  New  York  and 
Havana. 

The  Mangrove,  Lieut. -Commander  William  H. 
Everett  commanding,  was  cruising  along  the  Cuban 
coast  about  twenty  miles  from  Havana  when  she 
sighted  the  big  steamer,  which  was  armed  with  two 
12-pounders.  As  the  latter  came  within  range  the 
Mangrove  sent  a  shot  across  her  bow  ;  but  the  Span- 
iard gave  no  heed  ;  another  missile  followed  without 
result,  and  the  third  whistled  in  the  air  when  the  two 
vessels  were  hardly  more  than  a  hundred  yards  apart, 
Commander  Everett  shouting,  as  the  report  of  the  gun 
died  away,  that  unless  the  steamer  surrendered  she 
would  be  sunk  forthwith. 

The  only  other  ship  of  the  fleet  in  sight  was  the 
battle-ship  Indiana,  three  miles  to  the  rear.  The 
Mangrove's  officers  admit  that  they  expected  the  en- 
emy's 12-pounders  to  open  on  them  in  response 
to  the  threat,  but  the  Spaniard  promptly  came  to. 
Ensign  Dayton  boarded  the  prize. 

The  Indiana  had  seen  the  capture,  and  meanwhile 
drew  up  to  the  Mangrove,  giving  her  a  lusty  cheer. 
Lieutenant-Commander  Everett  reported  to  Captain 
Taylor  of  the  battle-ship,  and  the  latter  put  a  prize- 
crew  on  board  the  captive,  consisting  of  Cadet  Fal- 
coner and  fifteen  marines. 

April  26.  The  President  issued  a  proclamation 
respecting  the  rights  of  Spanish  vessels  then  in,  or 


58  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

bound  to,  ports  in  the  United  States,  and  also  with 
regard  to  the  right  of  search. 

The  United  States  gunboat  Newport  carried  into 
Key  West  the  Spanish  schooner  Piereno  and  the  sloop 
Paquette,  which  she  captured  off  Havana,  while  the 
monitor  Terror  took  to  the  same  port  the  coasting 
steamer  Ambrosia  Bolivar.  This  last  prize  had  on 
board  silver  specie  to  the  amount  of  seventy  thousand 
dollars,  three  hundred  casks  of  wine,  and  a  cargo  of 
bananas. 

April  27.  The  steamers  New  York,  Puritan,  and 
Cincinnati  bombarded  the  forts  at  the  mouth  of  Matan- 
zas  Harbour.  The  engagement  commenced  at  12.57, 
and  ceased  at  1.15  P.  M.  The  object  of  the  attack  was 
to  prevent  the  completion  of  the  earthworks  at  Punta 
Gorda. 

A  battery  on  the  eastward  arm  of  the  bay  opened 
fire  on  the  flag-ship,  and  this  was  also  shelled.  Twelve 
8-inch  shells  were  fired  from  the  eastern  forts,  but 
all  fell  short.  About  five  or  six  light  shells  were  fired 
from  the  half  completed  batteries.  Two  of  these 
whizzed  over  the  New  York,  and  one  fell  short. 

The  ships  left  the  bay  for  the  open  sea,  the  object 
of  discovering  the  whereabouts  of  the  batteries  having 
been  accomplished.  In  the  neighbourhood  of  three 
hundred  shots  were  put  on  land  from  the  three  ships 
at  a  range  of  from  four  thousand  to  seven  thousand 
yards.  No  casualties  on  the  American  side. 

The  little  monitor   Terror  captured  her  third  prize, 


A    DECLARATION    OF    WAR.  59 

and  the  story  of  the  chase  is  thus  told  by  an  eye- 
witness : 

"The  Spanish  steamer  Guide,  Captain  Armarechia, 
was  bound  for  Havana.  There  was  Spanish  urgency 
that  she  should  reach  that  port.  Aboard  was  a  large 
cargo,  provisions  for  the  beleaguered  city,  money  for 
the  Spanish  troops  —  or  officers.  The  steamer  had 
left  Liverpool  on  April  2d,  and  Corunna  on  April  Qth. 

"Ten  miles  off  Cardenas,  in  the  early  morning,  the 
Guido,  setting  her  fastest  pace,  made  for  Havana  and 
the  guardian  guns  of  Morro.  Ten  miles  off  Cardenas 
plodded  the  heavy  monitor.  The  half  light  betrayed 
the  fugitive,  and  the  pursuit  was  begun. 

"  Slowly,  very  slowly,  the  monitor  gained.  It  would 
be  a  long  chase.  Men  in  the  engine-room  toiled  like 
galley-slaves  under  the  whip.  There  was  prize-money 
to  be  gained.  The  Guido  fled  fast.  Every  light  aboard 
her  was  hid. 

"  Reluctantly  the  pursuer  aimed  a  6-pounder.  It 
was  prize  aim,  and  the  shot  found  more  than  a  billet  in 
the  Guido 's  pilot-house.  It  tore  a  part  away ;  the 
splinters  flew. 

"Another  6-pounder,  and  another.  It  was  profit- 
able shooting.  The  pilot-house,  a  fair  mark,  was  piece 
by  piece  nearly  destroyed.  Jagged  bits  of  wood  floated 
in  the  steamer's  wake. 

"The  gunboat  Machias,  which  was  some  distance 
away,  heard  the  sound  of  the  firing,  came  up,  and 
brought  her  4-inch  rifle  into  play,  firing  one  shot, 


6O  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

which  failed  to  hit  the  Spaniard.  This,  however, 
brought  her  to,  and  Lieutenant  Qualto  and  a  prize- 
crew  were  put  on  board." 

A  cablegram  from  Hongkong  announced  the  cap- 
ture of  the  American  bark  Saranac  off  Manila,  by  the 
Spanish  gunboat  El  Correo. 

By  a  conference  of  both  branches  of  Congress  a 
naval  bill  of  $49,277,558  was  agreed  upon.  It  stands 
as  the  heaviest  naval  outlay  since  the  civil  war,  pro- 
viding for  the  construction  of  three  battle-ships,  four 
monitors,  sixteen  torpedo-boat  destroyers,  and  twelve 
torpedo-boats. 

The  U.  S.  S.  Ne^vport  captured  the  Spanish  sloop 
Engracia,  and  the  U.  S.  S.  Dolphin  made  a  prize  of 
the  Spanish  schooner  Lola. 

April  29.  The  flag-ship  New  York  was  lying  about 
two  miles  off  the  harbour  of  Cabanas,  having  just  com- 
pleted a  cruise  of  inspection.  With  her  were  the 
torpedo-boats  Porter  and  Ericsson.  On  the  shore 
could  be  seen  the  white  ruins  of  what  may  have  been 
the  dwelling  of  a  plantation.  No  signs  of  life  were 
visible.  It  was  as  if  war's  alarms  had  never  been 
heard  on  this  portion  of  the  island. 

Suddenly  a  volley  of  musketry  rang  out,  repeated 
again  and  again,  at  regular  intervals,  and  the  tiny  jets 
of  water  which  were  sent  up  by  the  bullets  told  that, 
concealed  near  about  the  ruins  of  the  hacienda,  a  troop 
of  Spanish  soldiers  were  making  what  possibly  they 
may  have  believed  to  be  an  attack  upon  the  big  war- 


A    DECLARATION    OF   WAR.  6 1 

ship.  It  was  much  as  if  a  swarm  of  gnats  had  set 
about  endeavouring  to  worry  an  elephant,  and  likely  to 
have  as  little  effect ;  yet  Rear-Admiral  Sampson  be- 
lieved it  was  necessary  to  teach  the  enemy  that  any 
playing  at  war,  however  harmless,  was  dangerous  to 
themselves,  and  he  ordered  that  the  port  battery  be 
manned. 

Half  a  dozen  shots  from  the  4-inch  guns  were  con- 
sidered sufficient,  although  there  was  no  evidence  any 
execution  had  been  done,  and  the  big  vessel's  bow  was 
turned  eastward  just  as  a  troop  of  Spanish  cavalry  rode 
rapidly  away  from  the  ruin.  The  horsemen  served  as 
a  target  for  a  4-inch  gun  in  the  starboard  battery, 
and  the  troop  dispersed  in  hot  haste. 

While  this  mimic  warfare  was  being  carried  on  off 
Cabanas,  a  most  important  capture  was  made.  The 
Nashville,  Marblehcad,  and  the  Eagle  left  the  station 
on  the  north  coast,  April  25th,  to  blockade  Cienfuegos, 
arriving  at  the  latter  place  on  the  twenty-eighth. 

They  spent  the  day  reconnoitring,  and,  next  morn- 
ing, in  order  to  get  better  information,  steamed  close 
to  the  mouth  of  the  harbour  of  Cienfuegos.  The  Eagle 
was  to  the  eastward,  and  in  the  van.  The  Marblehead 
was  slightly  in  the  rear,  and  the  Nashville  to  the 
westward. 

All  were  cleared  for  action.  Suddenly  smoke  was 
seen  rising  on  the  western  horizon,  and  the  Nashville, 
because  of  her  position,  put  on  all  steam  in  that  direc- 
tion. Twenty  minutes  later  she  fired  two  shots  across 


62  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

the  bow  of  the  coming  steamer,  which  promptly  hove  to. 
She  was  the  Argonauta.  Ensign  Keunzli  was  sent 
with  a  prize-crew  of  nine  to  take  possession  of  her. 

Learning  that  Spanish  soldiers  were  on  board,  word 
was  given  to  send  them  to  the  Nashville  immediately 
as  prisoners  of  war,  and  when  this  had  been  done 
arrangements  were  made  to  transfer  the  passengers 
and  non-combatants  to  the  shore.  The  women  and 
children  were  placed  in  the  first  boat,  and  under  cover 
of  a  flag  of  truce  were  soon  bound  toward  the  entrance 
to  Cienfuegos.  A  second  crew  took  the  other  passen- 
gers and  landed  them  about  noon. 

The  Argonauta  had  on  board  Colonel  Corijo  of  the 
Third  Spanish  Cavalry,  his  first  lieutenant,  sergeant- 
major,  seven  other  lieutenants,  and  ten  privates  and 
non-commissioned  officers.  The  steamer  also  carried 
a  large  cargo  of  arms  and  Mauser  ammunition.  She 
was  bound  from  Satabanao,  Spain,  for  Cienfuegos, 
stopping  at  Port  Louis,  Trinidad,  and  Manzanillo. 

Half  an  hour  later  the  Eagle  hoisted  a  signal  con- 
veying the  intelligence  that  she  had  been  fired  upon  by 
Spanish  boats  coming  out  of  the  river.  She  imme- 
diately returned  the  fire  with  the  6-pounders,  and 
held  her  ground  until  the  Marblehead  came  up.  Both 
vessels  then  fired  broadside  after  broadside  up  the 
entrance  to  the  river. 

The  boats  coming  down  were  two  torpedo-boats  and 
one  torpedo-b.oat  destroyer.  After  twenty  minutes  of 
firing  by  the  Eagle,  during' the  last  five  of  which  the 


A    DECLARATION    OF   WAR.  63 

Marblehead  participated,    the   Spanish   vessels  ceased 
firing. 

April  29.  A  cablegram  from  St.  Vincent,  Cape 
Verde,  reported  the  departure  from  that  port  of  the 
Spanish  squadron,  consisting  of  the  first-class  cruisers 
Vizcaya,  Almirante  Oquendo,  Infanta  Maria  Teresa, 
and  Cristobal  Colon,  and  the  three  torpedo-boat  destroy- 
ers Furor,  Terror,  and  Pluton,  bound  westward,  prob- 
ably for  Porto  Rico. 

April  jo.  The  American  schooner  Ann  Louisa 
Lockwood  was  taken  by  the  Spaniards  off  Mole  St. 
Nicolas. 

The  capture  of  a  small  Spanish  schooner,  the  Mas- 
cota,  near  Havana,  by  the  torpedo-boat  Foote,  closed 
the  record  of  the  month  of  April. 

Anxiously  awaiting  some  word  from  Manila  were  the 
people  of  the  United  States,  and  it  was  as  if  everything 
else  was  relegated  to  the  background  until  information 
could  be  had  regarding  that  American  fleet  which 
sailed  from  Mirs  Bay,  in  the  China  Sea,  on  the  after- 
noon of  April  27th. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

THE    BATTLE    OF    MANILA    BAY. 

1\/JA  Y  i.  "  Manila,  May  i.  —  The  squadron  arrived 
•*  *-*  at  Manila  at  daybreak  this  morning.  Imme- 
diately engaged  the  enemy,  and  destroyed  the  follow- 
ing Spanish  vessels  :  Isla  de  Cuba,  Isla  de  Luzon,  Reina 
Christina,  Cast  ilia,  Don  Antonio  d'Ulloa,  Don  Juan 
d' Austria,  Velasco,  General  Lezo,  El  Correo,  Marques 
del  Duero,  Isla  de  Mindanao,  and  the  water-battery  at 
Cavite.  The  squadron  is  uninjured.  Few  men  were 
slightly  injured.  The  only  means  of  telegraphing  is  to 
American  consulate,  Hongkong.  I  shall  communicate 
with  him. 

"  DEWEY." 

All  the  world  loves  a  hero,  but  idolises  him  when  he 
performs  his  deeds  of  valour  without  too  many  prelim- 
inaries, and,  therefore,  when  on  the  seventh  of  May  the 
telegram  quoted  above  was  flashed  over  the  wires  to  an 
anxiously  expectant  people,  it  was  as  if  all  the  country 
remembered  but  one  name,  —  that  of  Dewey. 

April  25.  It  was  known  to  the  public  that  the 
Asiatic  Squadron  had  sailed  from  Hongkong  on  the 

64 


ADMIRAL    GEORGE   DEWEY. 


THE    BATTLE    OF    MANILA    BAY.  65 

25th  of  April  to  avoid  possible  complications  such  as 
might  arise  in  a  neutral  port,  and  had  rendezvoused  in 
Mirs  Bay,  there  to  await  orders  from  the  government 
at  Washington. 

April  26.  So  also  was  it  known  that  on  the  next 
day  Commodore  Dewey  received  the  following  cable- 
gram. 

"WASHINGTON,  April  26th. 

"  Dewey,  Asiatic  Squadron :  —  Commence  operations 
at  once,  particularly  against  Spanish  fleet.  You  must 
capture  or  destroy  them. 

"  McKiNLEY." 

April  27.  On  the  twenty-seventh  came  information 
from  Hongkong  that  the  squadron  had  put  to  sea,  and 
from  that  day  until  the  seventh  of  May  no  word  regard- 
ing the  commodore's  movements  had  been  received, 
save  through  Spanish  sources. 

Then  came  a  cablegram  containing  the  bare  facts 
concerning  the  most  complete  naval  victory  the  world 
had  ever  known.  It  was  the  first  engagement  of  the 
war,  and  a  crushing  defeat  for  the  enemy.  It  is  not 
strange  that  the  people,  literally  overwhelmed  with 
joy,  gave  little  heed  to  the  movements  of  our  forces 
elsewhere  until  the  details  of  this  marvellous  fight 
could  be  sent  under  the  oceans  and  across  the  coun- 
tries, thousands  of  leagues  in  distance,  describing  the 
deeds  of  the  heroes  who  had  made  their  names  famous 
so  long  as  history  shall  exist. 


66  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

During  such  time  of  waiting  all  were  eager  to 
familiarise  themselves  with  the  theatre  of  this  scene 
of  action,  and  every  source  of  information  was  applied 
to  until  the  bay  of  Manila  had  become  as  well  known 
as  the  nearest  home  waters. 

For  a  better  understanding  of  the  battle  a  rough 
diagram  of  the  bay,  from  the  entrance  as  far  as  the 
city  of  Manila,  may  not  come  amiss.1 

Twenty-six  miles  from  the  entrance  to  the  bay  is 
situated  the  city  of  Manila,  through  which  the  river 
Pasig  runs,  dividing  what  is  known  as  the  old  city  from 
the  new,  and  forming  several  small  islands. 

Sixteen  miles  from  the  sea  is  the  town  and  arsenal 
of  Cavite,  which,  projecting  as  it  does  from  the  main- 
land, forms  a  most  commodious  and  safe  harbour. 
Cavite  was  well  fortified,  and  directly  opposite  its  for*., 
on  the  mainland,  was  a  heavy  mortar  battery.  Between 
the  arsenal  and  the  city  was  a  Krupp  battery,  at  what 
was  known  as  the  Luneta  Fort,  while  further  toward 
the  sea,  extending  from  Cavite  to  the  outermost  por- 
tion of  Limbones  Point,  were  shore-batteries,  —  for- 
midable forts,  so  it  had  been  given  out  by  the  Spanish 
government,  such  as  would  render  the  city  of  Manila 
impregnable. 

Between  Limbones  and  Talago.  Point  are  two  islands, 
Corregidor  and  Caballo,  which  divide  the  entrance  of 
the  bay  into  three  channels.  On  each  of  these  islands 

'See  Appendix,  Part  A,  for  general  description  of  the  Philippine 
Islands  and  their  inhabitants. 


THE    BATTLE    OF    MANILA    BAY.  67 

is  a  lighthouse,  and  it  was  said  that  both  were  strongly 
fortified  with  modern  guns.  North  of  Corregidor, 
nearly  opposite,  but  on  the  inner  shore,  is  the  point  of 
San  Jose",  where  was  another  water-battery  mounting 
formidable  guns.  That  channel  between  Corregidor 
and  San  Jose  Point  is  known  as  the  Boca  Grande,  and 
is  nearly  two  miles  wide.  The  middle  channel,  or  the 
one  situated  between  the  two  islands,  is  shallow,  and 
but  little  used.  The  third,  which  separates  Caballo 
Island  from  Limbones  Point,  is  nearly  three  miles  in 
width,  at  least  twenty  fathoms  deep,  and  known  as  the 
Boca  Chica. 

All  of  these  channels,  as  well  as  the  waters  of 
the  bay,  were  said  to  have  been  thickly  mined,  and 
the  enemy  had  caused  it  to  be  reported  that  no 
ship  could  safely  enter  without  the  aid  of  a  govern- 
ment pilot. 

In  addition  to  the  vessels  of  the  American  fleet,  as 
set  down  at  the  conclusion  of  this  chapter,  were  two 
transports,  the  steamers  Nanshan  and  Zafiro,  which 
had  come  into  the  port  of  Hongkong  laden  with 
coal  shortly  before  Commodore  Dewey's  departure,  and 
had  been  purchased  by  him,  together  with  their  cargoes, 
in  anticipation  of  the  declaration  of  war. 

And  now,  the  details  having  been  set  down  in  order 
that  what  follows  may  be  the  better  understood,  we 
will  come  to  that  sultry  Sunday  morning,  shortly  after 
midnight,  when  the  American  fleet  steamed  along  the 
coast  toward  the  entrance  to  Manila  Bay,  the  flag-ship 


68  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

Olympia  leading,  with  the  Baltimore,  the  Raleigh,  the 
Petrel,  the  Concord,  and  the  Boston  following  in  the 
order  named.  In  the  rear  of  these  came  the  two 
transports,  the  Nanshan  and  Zafiro,  convoyed  by  the 
despatch  steamer  McCulloch. 

The  commodore  had  decided  to  enter  by  the  Boca 
Grande  channel,  and  the  fleet  kept  well  out  from 
Talago  Point  until  the  great  light  of  Corregidor  came 
into  view. 

Then  the  crews  of  the  war-vessels  were  summoned 
on  deck,  the  men  ordered  to  wash,  and  afterwards 
served  with  a  cup  of  coffee.  All  lights  were  extin- 
guished except  one  on  the  stern  of  each  ship,  and  that 
was  hooded.  All  hands  were  at  quarters ;  all  guns 
loaded,  with  extra  charges  ready  at  hand  ;  every  eye 
was  strained,  and  every  ear  on  the  alert  to  catch  the 
slightest  sound. 

Perhaps  there  was  not  a  man  from  commodore  to 
seaman,  who  believed  it  would  be  possible  for  the  war- 
vessels  to  enter  the  bay  without  giving  an  alarm,  and 
yet  the  big  ships  continued  on  and  were  nearly  past 
Corregidor  Island  before  a  gun  was  fired. 

The  flag-ship  was  well  into  the  bay,  steaming  at  a 
four-knot  speed,  when  from  the  smoke-stack  of  the 
little  McCulloch  a  column  of  sparks  shot  up  high 
into  the  air.  In  the  run  her  fires  had  fallen  low, 
and  it  became  necessary  to  replenish  them.  The 
firemen,  perhaps  fearing  lest  they  should  not  be  in 
at  the  death,  were  more  energetic  than  prudent,  and 


THE    BATTLE    OF    MANILA    BAY.  69 

thus  a   signal   was   given   to   the   sleepy   garrison   of 
Corregidor. 

"Perhaps  they  will  see  us  now,"  the  commodore 
remarked,  quietly,  as  his  attention  was  called  to  this 
indiscretion. 

A  flash  of  light  burst  from  the  fort ;  there  was  a  dull 
report,  and  in  the  air  could  be  heard  that  peculiar  sing- 
ing and  sighing  of  a  flying  projectile  as  a  heavy  missile 
passed  over  the  Olympia  and  the  Raleigh. 

The  garrison  on  Corregidor  was  awakened,  but  not 
until  after  the  last  vessel  in  that  ominous  procession 
had  steamed  past. 

It  was  the  first  gun  in  the  battle  of  Manila  Bay,  and 
it  neither  worked  harm  nor  caused  alarm. 

Again  and  again  in  rapid  succession  came  these 
flashes  of  light,  dull  reports,  and  sinister  hummings  in 
the  air,  before  the  American  fleet  gave  heed  that  this 
signal  to  heave  to  had  been  heard. 

Then  a  4-inch  shell  was  sent  from  the  Concord 
directly  inside  of  the  fortification,  where  it  exploded. 

The  Raleigh  and  the  Boston  each  threw  a  shell  by 
way  of  salute,  and  then  all  was  silent. 

The  channel,  which  had  been  thickly  mined,  accord- 
ing to  the  Spanish  reports,  was  passed  in  safety,  and 
the  fleet,  looking  so  unsubstantial  in  the  darkness,  had 
yet  to  meet  the  mines  in  the  bay,  as  well  as  the  Spanish 
fleet,  which  all  knew  was  lying  somewhere  near  about 
the  city. 

On  the  forward  bridge  of  the  Olympia  stood  Commo- 


7O  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

dore  Dewey,  his  chief  of  staff,  Commander  Lamberton, 
Lieutenant  Rees,  Lieutenant  Calkins,  and  an  insurgent 
Filippino,  who  had  volunteered  as  pilot. 

In  the  conning-tower  was  Captain  Gridley,  who,  much 
against  his  will,  was  forced  to  take  up  his  position  in 
that  partially  sheltered  place  because  the  commander 
of  the  fleet  was  not  willing  to  take  the  chances  that 
all  the  chief  officers  of  the  ship  should  be  exposed  to 
death  on  the  bridge. 

The  word  was  given  to  "slow  down,"  and  the  speed 
of  the  big  ships  decreased  until  they  had  barely 
steerageway. 

The  men  were  allowed  to  sleep  beside  their 
guns. 

The  moon  had  set,  the  darkness  and  the  silence  was 
almost  profound,  until  suddenly  day  broke,  as  it  does  in 
the  tropics,  like  unto  a  flash  of  light,  and  all  that  bay, 
with  its  fighting-machines  in  readiness  for  the  first 
signal,  was  disclosed  to  view. 

From  the  masthead  of  the  American  vessels  rose 
tiny  balls  of  bunting,  and  then  were  broken  out, 
disclosing  the  broad  folds  of  the  stars  and  stripes. 

Cavite  was  hardly  more  than  five  miles  ahead,  and 
beyond,  the  city  of  Manila. 

The  Reina  Christina,  flying  the  Spanish  rear-ad- 
miral's flag,  lay  off  the  arsenal.  Astern  of  her  was 
moored  the  Castillo.,  her  port  battery  ready  for  action. 
Slightly  to  seaward  were  the  Don  Juan  de  Austria,  the 
Don  Antonio  de  Ulloa,  the  Is  la  de  Cuba  and  Is  la  de 


THE    BATTLE    OF    MANILA    BAY.  71 

Luzon,  the  El  Correo,  the  Marques  del  Duero,  and  the 
General  Lezo. 

They  were  under  steam  and  slowly  moving  about, 
apparently  ready  to  receive  the  fire  of  the  advancing 
squadron.  The  flag-ship  Reina  Christina  also  was 
under  way. 

"  Prepare  for  general  action !  Steam  at  eight-knot 
speed !  "  were  the  signals  which  floated  from  the 
Olympia  as  she  led  the  fleet  in,  keeping  well  toward 
the  shore  opposite  the  city. 

The  American,  fleet  was  yet  five  miles  distant,  when 
from  the  arsenal  came  a  flame  and  report  ;  but  the 
missile  was  not  to  be  seen.  Another  shot  from  Cavite, 
and  then  was  strung  aloft  on  the  Olympia  a  line  of  tiny 
flags,  telling  by  the  code  what  was  to  be  the  American 
battle-cry  :  "  Remember  the  Maine"  and  from  the  throat 
of  every  man  on  the  incoming  ships  went  up  a  shout 
of  defiance  and  exultation  that  the  moment  was  near 
at  hand  when  the  dastardly  deed  done  in  the  harbour  of 
Havana  might  be  avenged. 

Steaming  steadily  onward  were  the  huge  vessels, 
dropping  astern  and  beyond  range  the  transports  as 
they  passed  opposite  Cavite  Point,  until,  having  gained 
such  a  distance  above  the  city  as  permitted  of  an  evolu- 
tion, the  fleet  swung  swiftly  around  until  it  held  a 
course  parallel  with  the  westernmost  shore,  and  distant 
from  it  mayhap  six  thousand  yards. 

Every  nerve  was  strained  to  its  utmost  tension  ;  each 
man  took  a  mental  grip  upon  himself,  believing  that  he 


72  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

stood  face  to  face  with  death ;  but  no  cheek  paled ;  no 
hand  trembled  save  it  might  have  been  from  excitement. 

The  ships  were  coming  down  on  their  fighting  course 
when  a  shell  from  one  of  the  shore-batteries  burst  over 
the  Olympia;  the  guns  from  the  fort  and  from  the 
water-batteries  vomited  jets  of  flame  and  screaming 
missiles  with  thunderous  reports ;  every  man  on  the 
American  fleet  save  one  believed  the  moment  had  come 
when  they  should  act  their  part  in  the  battle  which  had 
been  begun  by  the  enemy  ;  but  up  went  the  signal : 

"  Hold  your  fire  until  close  in." 

Had  the  American  fleet  opened  fire  then,  the  city  of 
Manila  would  have  been  laid  in  ashes  and  thousands 
of  non-combatants  slain. 

The  Olympia  was  yet  two  miles  from  Cavite  when, 
directly  in  front  of  the  Baltimore,  a  huge  shaft  of  water 
shot  high  into  the  air,  and  with  a  heavy  booming  that 
drowned  the  reports  of  the  Spanish  guns. 

"  The  torpedoes  !  "  some  one  on  the  Olympia  said, 
in  a  low  tone,  with  an  indrawing  of  the  breath  ;  but 
it  was  as  if  Dewey  did  not  hear.  With  Farragut  in 
Mobile  Bay  he  had  seen  the  effects  of  such  engines  of 
destruction,  and,  like  Farragut,  he  gave  little  heed  to 
that  which  might  in  a  single  instant  send  his  vessel 
to  the  bottom,  even  as  the  Maine  had  been  sent. 

Then,  so  near  the  Raleigh  as  to  send  a  flood  across 
her  decks,  another  spouting  of  water,  another  dull  roar, 
and  the  much  vaunted  mines  of  the  Spaniards  in  Manila 
Bay  had  been  exploded. 


THE    BATTLE    OF    MANILA    BAY.  73 

The  roar  and  crackle  of  the  enemy's  guns  still  con- 
tinued, yet  Dewey  withheld  the  order  which  every  man 
was  now  most  eager  to  hear. 

The  Spanish  gunners  were  getting  the  range ;  the 
shells  which  had  passed  over  our  fleet  now  fell  close 
about  them  ;  the  tension  among  officers  and  men  was 
terrible.  They  wondered  how  much  longer  the  com- 
modore would  restrain  them  from  firing.  The  heat  was 
rapidly  becoming  intense.  The  guns'  crews  began  to 
throw  off  their  clothes.  Soon  they  wore  nothing  but 
their  trousers,  and  perspiration  fairly  ran  from  their 
bodies. 

Still  the  word  was  not  given  to  fire,  though  the  ships 
steadily  steamed  on  and  drew  nearer  the  fort.  Orders 
were  given  by  the  officers  in  low  voices,  but  they  were 
perfectly  audible,  so  great  was  the  silence  which  was 
broken  only  by  the  throbbing  of  the  engines.  The  men 
hugged  their  posts  ready  to  open  fire  at  the  word. 

A  huge  shell  from  Cavite  hissed  through  the  air  and 
came  directly  for  the  Olympia.  High  over  the  smoke- 
stack it  burst  with  a  mighty  snap.  Commodore  Dewey 
did  not  raise  his  eyes.  He  simply  turned,  made  a 
motion  to  a  boatswain's  mate  who  stood  near  the 
after  5 -inch  gun.  With  a  voice  of  thunder  the  man 
bellowed  an  order  along  the  decks. 

"  Remember  the  Maine  !  "  yelled  a  chorus  of  five 
hundred  gallant  sailors.  Below  decks  in  the  engine- 
rooms  the  cry  was  taken  up,  a  cry  of  defiance  and 
revenge.  Up  in  the  turrets  resounded  the  words,  and 


74  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

the  threatening  notes  were  swept  across  the  bay  to  the 
other  ships. 

"  Remember  the  Maine  !  " 

In  that  strange  cry  was  loosed  the  pent-up  wrath  of 
hundreds  of  American  sailors  who  resented  the  cowardly 
death  of  their  comrades.  It  bespoke  the  terrible  ven- 
geance that  was  about  to  be  dealt  out  to  the  defenders 
of  a  detestable  flag. 

"You  may  fire  when  you  are  ready,  Gridley,"  was 
Commodore  Dewey's  quiet  remark  to  the  captain  of  the 
Olympia,  who  was  still  in  the  conning-tower. 

The  Olympias  8-inch  gun  in  the  forward  turret 
belched  forth,  and  an  instant  later  was  run  up  the 
signal  to  the  ships  astern : 

"  Fire  as  convenient." 

The  other  vessels  in  the  squadron  followed  the 
example  set  by  the  Olympia.  The  big  8-inch  guns 
of  the  Baltimore  and  the  Boston  hurled  their  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  pound  shells  at  the  Spanish  flag-ship  and 
at  the  Castilla. 

The  Spanish  fleet  fired  fast  and  furiously.  The  guns 
on  Cavite  hurled  their  shells  at  the  swiftly  moving 
vessels ;  the  water-batteries  added  their  din  to  the 
horrible  confusion  of  noises ;  the  air  was  sulphurous 
with  the  odour  of  burning  powder,  and  great  clouds  of 
smoke  hung  here  and  there,  obscuring  this  vessel  or 
that  from  view.  It  was  the  game  of  death  with  all  its 
horrible  accompaniments. 

One  big  shell  came  toward  the  Olympia  straight  for 


THE    BATTLE    OF    MANILA    BAY.  75 

the  bridge.  When  a  hundred  feet  away  it  suddenly 
burst,  its  fragments  continuing  onward.  One  piece 
struck  the  rigging  directly  over  the  head  of  Com- 
mander Lamberton.  He  did  not  wince. 

The  Olympia  continued  on.  It  was  evident  Com- 
modore Dewey  was  making  straight  for  the  centre 
of  the  enemy's  line,  which  was  the  big  cruiser  Reina 
Christiiia, 

Being  the  nearest  ship,  the  Olympia  received  more 
attention  from  the  Spaniards  than  any  of  the  other 
vessels. 

The  water  was  now  getting  shallow.  Commodore 
Dewey  did  not  wish  to  run  aground.  He  altered  his 
course  when  about  four  thousand  yards  from  the 
Spanish  vessels,  and  swung  around  to  give  them  his 
broadside. 

A  small  torpedo-boat  was  seen  to  emerge  from  the 
shore  near  the  arsenal,  making  for  the  coal-laden 
steamers  at  a  high  rate  of  speed.  The  secondary 
batteries  on  the  ships  nearest  were  brought  to  bear 
upon  her ;  it  was  a  veritable  shower  of  shot  and  shell 
which  fell  ahead,  astern,  and  either  side  of  her.  To 
continue  on  would  have  been  certain  destruction,  and, 
turning  in  the  midst  of  that  deadly  hail  which  had 
half  disabled  her,  the  craft  was  run  high  and  dry 
on  the  beach,  where  she  was  at  once  abandoned, 
her  crew  doubtless  fearing  lest  the  magazines  would 
explode. 

"  Open  with  all  guns,"  came  the  signal  as  the  course 


76  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

of  the  American  vessels  was  changed,  and  soon  all  the 
port  guns  were  at  work. 

The  American  fleet  was  steaming  back  and  forth  off 
Cavite  Bay  as  if  bent  on  leaving  such  a  wake  as  would 
form  a  figure  eight,  delivering  broadside  after  broadside 
with  splendid  results. 

All  this  time  the  enemy's  vessels  were  keeping  up 
a  steady  fire,  the  smaller  ships  retreating  inside  the 
mole  several  times  during  the  action.  The  forts  were 
not  idle,  but  kept  thundering  forth  their  tribute  with 
no  noticeable  effect.  The  enemy's  fire  seemed  to  be 
concentrated  on  the  Baltimore,  and  she  was  hit  several 
times. 

A  4. 7-inch  armour-piercing  shell  punctured  her  side 
on  the  main-deck  line,  tore  up  the  wooden  deck,  and, 
striking  the  steel  deck  under  this,  glanced  upward, 
went  through  the  after  engine-room  hatch,  and,  emerg- 
ing, struck  the  cylinder  of  the  port  6-inch  gun  on  the 
quarter-deck,  temporarily  rendering  the  gun  unfit  for 
use. 

In  its  flight  it  also  struck  a  box  of  3-pounder 
ammunition,  exploding  one  shell,  which  in  turn  slightly 
wounded  one  of  No.  4  gun's  crew. 

One  shell  pierced  her  starboard  side  forward  of 
No.  2  sponson,  and  lodged  in  a  clothes-locker  on  the 
berth-deck  ;  another  struck  her  port  beam  a  little  above 
the  water-line,  and  a  few  feet  forward  of,  and  above 
this,  another  shell  came  crashing  across  the  berth-deck, 
striking  a  steam-pipe  and  exploding  behind  the  starboard 


THE    BATTLE    OF    MANILA    BAY.  77 

blower-engine,  but  with  no  serious  results.  A  fragment 
of  a  shell  went  through  one  of  the  ventilators,  and  the 
colours  of  the  mainmast  were  shot  through. 

The  concussion  from  the  8-inch  guns  on  the  poop 
shattered  the  whaleboats,  and  they  had  to  be  cut 
adrift.  A  fragment  of  a  shell  that  burst  over  the 
quarter-deck  cut  the  signal  halliards  which  Lieutenant 
Brumby  held  in  his  hand. 

On  the  Boston  a  shell  came  through  a  port-hole  in 
Ensign  Doddridge's  stateroom,  and  wrecked  it  badly. 
The  explosion  set  a  fire  which  was  quickly  put  out. 
Another  shell  struck  the  port  hammock  netting,  where 
it  burst,  setting  fire  to  the  hammocks.  This  was  also 
soon  extinguished.  Still  another  shell  struck  the 
Bostons  foremast,  cutting  a  great  gash  in  it.  It  came 
within  twenty  feet  of  Captain  Wildes  on  the  bridge. 

The  Raleigh  was  forced  inshore  by  the  strong 
current,  and  carried  directly  upon  the  bows  of  two 
Spanish  cruisers.  By  all  the  rules  of  warfare  she 
should  have  been  sunk ;  but  instead,  her  commander 
delivered  two  raking  broadsides  as  she  steamed  back 
into  place. 

Three  times  the  American  ships  passed  back  and 
forth,  opening  first  with  one  broadside  and  then  with 
another  as  the  ship  swung  around,  and  then  the  Reina 
Christina,  black  smoke  pouring  from  her  stacks,  and  a 
vapour  as  of  wool  coming  from  the  steam-pipes,  gallantly 
sallied  out  to  meet  the  Olympia. 

Between  the  two  flag-ships  ensued  a  duel,  in  which 


78  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

the  Spaniard  was  speedily  worsted  to  such  a  degree 
that  she  was  literally  forced  to  turn  and  make  for  the 
shore.  As  she  swung  around,  with  her  stern  directly 
toward  the  Olympia,  an  8-inch  shell  struck  her 
squarely,  and  the  explosive  must  have  travelled  directly 
through  the  ill-fated  craft  until  it  reached  the  after 
boiler,  where  it  exploded,  ripping  up  the  decks,  and 
vomiting  forth  showers  of  iron  fragments  and  portions 
of  dismembered  human  bodies. 

A  gunboat  came  out  from  behind  the  Cavite  pier, 
and  made  directly  for  the  Olympia.  In  less  than  five 
minutes  she  was  in  a  sinking  condition  ;  as  she  turned, 
a  shell  struck  her  just  inside  the  stern  railing,  and  she 
disappeared  beneath  the  waves  as  if  crushed  by  some 
titanic  force. 

Navigator  Calkins  of  the  Olympia  had  soundings 
taken,  and  told  Commodore  Dewey  that  he  could  take 
the  ship  farther  in  toward  the  Spanish  fleet. 

"  Take  her  in,  then,"  the  commodore  replied. 

The  ship  moved  up  to  within  two  thousand  yards  of 
the  Spanish  fleet.  This  brought  the  smaller  guns  into 
effective  play. 

The  rain  of  shell  upon  the  doomed  Spaniards  was 
terrific. 

The  Castilla  was  in  flames  from  stem  to  stern. 
Black  smoke  poured  up  from  the  decks  of  the  Is  la  de 
Cuba,  and  on  the  flag-ship  fire  was  completing  the  work 
of  destruction  begun  by  the  American  shells. 

It  was  7.35  A.  M.  when  the    battle,  which  began  at 


THE    BATTLE    OF    MANILA    BAY.  79 

5.41,  came  to  a  temporary  close.  The  first  round  was 
concluded. 

There  was  yet  ample  time  in  which  to  finish  the 
work  so  well  begun,  and  from  the  flag-ship  Olympia 
went  up  the  signal  : 

"  Cease  firing  and  follow." 

The  fleet  was  headed  for  the  opposite  shore,  and,  once 
partially  beyond  range,  "  mess-gear  "  was  sounded. 

The  only  casualty  worthy  of  mention  which  had 
occurred  was  the  death  of  Chief  Engineer  Frank  B. 
Randall,  of  the  steamer  McCulloch,  who  died  from  heart 
disease,  probably  superinduced  by  excitement,  while  the 
fleet  was  passing  Corregidor. 

There  were  handshakings  and  congratulations  on 
every  hand  as  smoke-begrimed  friends,  parted  during 
the  battle,  met  again,  and  loud  were  the  cheers  that 
went  up  from  the  various  ships  in  passing. 

After  breakfast  had  been  served  and  the  ships  made 
ready  for  the  second  round,  or,  in  other  words,  at  10.15 
in  the  forenoon,  the  Spanish  flag-ship  Reina  Christina 
hauled  down  her  colours,  and  the  admiral's  flag  was 
transferred  to  the  Isla  de  Cuba. 

At  10.45  a  signal  was  made  from  the  Olympia: 

"  Get  under  way  with  men  at  quarters." 

Again  the  fleet  stood  in  toward  Cavite,  the  Baltimore 
in  the  lead,  but  the  latter  vessel's  course  was  quickly 
changed  as  a  strange  steamer  was  observed  entering  the 
bay. 

Not   many  moments  were    spent  in    reconnoitring ; 


8O  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

the  signal  flags  soon  told  that  the  stranger  was  flying 
the  English  ensign. 

Then  came  the  order  for  the  Baltimore  to  stand  in 
and  destroy  the  enemy's  fortifications,  and  ten  minutes 
later  the  battle  was  on  once  more. 

Now  the  fire  was  slow  and  deliberate,  the  gunners 
taking  careful  aim,  bent  on  expending  the  least  amount 
of  ammunition  with  the  greatest  possible  execution. 

The  Baltimore  suffered  most  at  the  beginning  of  this 
second  round,  because  all  the  enemy's  fire  was  concen- 
trated upon  her. 

Soon  after  this  second  half  of  the  engagement  had 
begun  a  Spanish  shell  exploded  on  the  Baltimore's 
deck,  wounding  five  of  the  crew,  and  another  partially 
disabled  three.  It  was  as  if  every  square  yard  of  sur- 
face in  that  portion  of  the  bay  was  covered  by  a  missile 
from  the  enemy's  guns,  and  yet  no  further  damage  to 
the  American  fleet  was  done. 

When  the  Baltimore  was  within  twenty-five  hundred- 
yard  range  she  poured  a  broadside  into  the  Reina 
Christina  which  literally  blew  that  craft  into  fragments, 
and  the  smoke  from  the  guns  yet  hung  like  a  cloud 
above  the  deck  when  the  ill-fated  flag-ship  sank  beneath 
the  waters  of  the  bay. 

The  San  Juan  de  Austria  was  the  next  of  the  enemy's 
fleet  to  be  sunk,  and  then  a  like  fate  overtook  the  El 
Correo. 

The  General  Lezo  was  run  on  shore  and  abandoned 
to  the  flames. 


THE    BATTLE    OF    MANILA    BAY.  8 1 

The  cruiser  Castillo,  was  scuttled  by  her  crew  lest 
the  fire  which  was  raging  fiercely  should  explode  her 
magazine. 

The  Valasco  went  down  before  all  her  men  could 
escape  to  the  boats.  The  guns  of  the  Don  Antonio 
de  Ulloa  were  fought  with  most  desperate  bravery, 
and  even  as  she  sank  beneath  the  surface  were  the 
pieces  discharged  by  the  brave  Spaniards  who  stood  at 
their  posts  of  duty  until  death  overtook  them. 

The  Concord  started  after  the  Mindanao  lying  close 
inshore,  and  was  soon  joined  by  the  Olympia,  who 
poured  8-inch  shells  into  the  transport  until  she  was 
set  on  fire  in  a  dozen  places. 

The  entire  Spanish  fleet  had  been  destroyed ;  not  a 
vessel  remained  afloat,  and  Commodore  Dewey  turned 
his  attention  to  the  Cavite  battery. 

It  was  12.45  p-  M-  when  the  magazine  in  the  arsenal 
was  exploded  by  a  shell  from  the  Olympia,  or  the  Pet- 
rel, it  is  impossible  to  say  which,  and  the  battle  of 
Manila  had  been  fought  and  won. 

Not  until  the  thirteenth  of  May  was  Commodore 
Dewey's  official  report  received  at  the  Navy  Depart- 
ment, and  then  it  was  given  to  the  public  without  loss 
of  time.  It  is  copied  below  : 

"  FLAGSHIP  OLYMPIA,  CAVITE,  May  4,  1 898. 
"The  squadron  left  Mirs  Bay  on  April  27th.     Ar- 
rived off  Bolinao  on  the  morning  of  April  3Oth,  and 


82  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

finding  no  vessels  there  proceeded  down  the  coast  and 
arrived  off  the  entrance  to  Manila  Bay  on  the  same 
afternoon.  The  Boston  and  Concord  were  sent  to 
reconnoitre  Point  Subic.  ...  A  thorough  search 
of  the  port  was  made  by  the  Boston  and  the  Concord, 
but  the  Spanish  fleet  was  not  found.  .  .  . 

"  Entered  the  south  channel  at  1 1.30  P.  M.,  steaming 
in  column  at  eight  knots.  After  half  the  squadron 
had  passed,  a  battery  on  the  south  side  of  the  channel 
opened  fire,  none  of  the  shots  taking  effect.  The 
Boston  and  McCulloch  returned  the  fire. 

"  The  squadron  proceeded  across  the  bay  at  slow 
speed,  and  arrived  off  Manila  at  daybreak,  and  was 
fired  upon  at  5.15  A.M.  by  three  batteries  at  Manila 
and  two  near  Cavite,  and  by  the  Spanish  fleet  anchored 
in  an  approximately  east  and  west  line  across  the 
mouth  of  Baker  Bay,  with  their  left  in  shoal  water  in 
Canacoa  Bay. 

"The  squadron  then  proceeded  to  the  attack,  the 
flag-ship  Olympia,  under  my  personal  direction,  leading, 
followed  at  distance  by  the  Baltimore,  Raleigh,  Petrel, 
Concord,  and  Boston,  in  the  order  named,  which  for- 
mation was  maintained  throughout  the  action.  The 
squadron  opened  fire  at  5.41  A.  M. 

"While  advancing  to  the  attack  two  mines  were 
exploded  ahead  of  the  flag-ship,  too  far  to  be  effective. 
The  squadron  maintained  a  continuous  and  precise  fire 
at  ranges  varying  from  five  thousand  to  two  thousand 
yards,  countermarching  in  a  line  approximately  parallel 


THE    BATTLE    OF    MANILA    BAY.  83 

to  that  of  the  Spanish  fleet.  The  enemy's  fire  was 
vigorous,  but  generally  ineffective. 

"  Early  in  the  engagement  two  launches  put  out 
toward  the  Olympia,  with  the  apparent  intention  of 
using  torpedoes.  One  was  sunk  and  the  other  disabled 
by  our  fire,  and  beached  before  an  opportunity  occurred 
to  fire  torpedoes. 

"  At  seven  A.  M.  the  Spanish  flag-ship,  Reina  Christina, 
made  a  desperate  attempt  to  leave  the  line  and  come 
out  to  engage  at  short  range,  but  was  received  with 
such  a  volley  of  fire,  the  entire  battery  of  the  Olympia 
being  concentrated  upon  her,  that  she  was  barely  able 
to  return  to  the  shelter  of  the  point.  The  fires  started 
in  her  by  our  shell  at  this  time  were  not  extinguished 
until  she  sank. 

"  The  three  batteries  at  Manila  had  kept  up  a  con- 
tinuous report  from  the  beginning  of  the  engagement, 
which  fire  was  not  returned  by  this  squadron. 

"  The  first  of  these  batteries  was  situated  on  the 
South  Mole  head,  at  the  entrance  to  the  Pasig  River, 
the  second  on  the  south  bastion  of  the  walled  city  of 
Manila,  and  the  third  at  Malate,  about  one-half  mile 
farther  south.  At  this  point  I  sent  a  message  to  the 
governor-general,  in  effect  that  if  the  batteries  did  not 
cease  firing  the  city  would  be  shelled.  This  had  the 
effect  of  silencing  them. 

"At  7.35  A.M.  I  ceased  firing  and  withdrew  the 
squadron  for  breakfast. 

"At    1 1. 1 6  A.M.   returned  to  the  attack.     By  this 


84  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

time  the  Spanish  flag-ship  and  almost  the  entire  Spanish 
fleet  were  in  flames.  At  12.30  P.  M.  the  squadron 
ceased  firing,  the  batteries  being  silenced,  and  the  ships 
sunk,  burned,  and  destroyed. 

"At  12.40  P.  M.  the  squadron  returned  and  anchored 
off  Manila,  the  Petrel  being  left  behind  to  complete 
the  destruction  of  the  smaller  gunboats,  which  were 
behind  the  point  of  Cavite.  This  duty  was  performed 
by  Commander  E.  P.  Wood  in  the  most  expeditious 
and  complete  manner  possible. 

"  The  Spanish  lost  the  following  vessels  : 

"  Sunk  :  Reina  Christina,  Castilla,  Don  Antonio  de 
Ulloa. 

"Burned  :  Don  Juan  de  Austria,  Is  la  de  Luzon,  Is  la 
de  Cuba,  General  Lezo,  Marques  del  Dtiero,  El  Correo, 
Velasco,  and  Is  la  de  Mindanao,  transport. 

"  Captured  :  Rapido  and  Hercules,  tugs,  and  several 
small  launches. 

"  I  am  unable  to  obtain  complete  accounts  of  the 
enemy's  killed  and  wounded,  but  believe  their  losses  to 
be  very  heavy. 

"  The  Reina  Christina  alone  had  150  killed,  including 
the  captain,  and  ninety  wounded. 

"  I  am  happy  to  report  that  the  damage  done  to  the 
squadron  under  my  command  was  inconsiderable.  There 
were  none  killed,  and  only  seven  men  in  the  squadron 
were  slightly  wounded. 

"Several  of  the  vessels  were  struck,  and  two  pene- 
trated, but  the  damage  was  of  the  slightest,  and  the 


THE    BATTLE    OF    MANILA    BAY.  85 

squadron   is  in  as  good    condition  now  as   before   the 
battle. 

"  I  beg  to  state  to  the  department  that  I  doubt  if 
any  commander-in-chief  was  ever  served  by  more  loyal, 
efficient,  and  gallant  captains  than  those  of  the  squad- 
ron now  under  my  command. 

Caj>t.  Frank  Wildes,  commanding  the  Boston,  volun- 
teered to  remain  in  command  of  his  vessel,  although  his 
relief  arrived  before  leaving  Hongkong.  Assistant 
Surgeon  Kindleberger  of  the  Olympia  and  Gunner 
J.  C.  Evans  of  the  Boston  also  volunteered  to  remain 
after  orders  detaching  them  had  arrived. 

"The  conduct  of  my  personal  staff  was  excellent. 
Commander  B.  P.  Lamberton,  chief  of  staff,  was  a 
volunteer  for  that  position,  and  gave  me  most  efficient 
aid.  Lieutenant  Brumby,  flag  lieutenant,  and  Ensign 
W.  P.  Scott,  aid,  performed  their  duties  as  signal 
officers  in  a  highly  creditable  manner. 

"  The  Olympia  being  short  of  officers  for  the  battery, 
Ensign  H.  H.  Caldwell,  flag  secretary,  volunteered  for 
and  was  assigned  to  a  subdivision  of  5-inch  battery. 
Mr.  J.  L.  Stickney,  formerly  an  officer  in  the  United 
States  navy,  and  now  correspondent  of  the  New  York 
Herald,  volunteered  for  duty  as  my  aid,  and  did 
valuable  service. 

"  I  desire  specially  to  mention  the  coolness  of  Lieut. 
C.  G.  Calkins,  the  navigator  of  the  Olympia,  who  came 
under  my  personal  observation,  being  on  the  bridge 
with  me  throughout  the  entire  action,  and  giving  the 


86  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

ranges  to  the  guns  with  an  accuracy  that  was  proved 
by  the  excellence  of  the  firing. 

"  On  May  2d,  the  day  following  the  engagement,  the 
squadron  again  went  to  Cavite,  where  it  remained. 

"  On  the  3d,  the  military  forces  evacuated  the  Cavite 
arsenal,  which  was  taken  possession  of  by  a  landing 
party.  On  the  same  day  the  Raleigh  and  Baltimore 
secured  the  surrender  of  the  batteries  on  Corregi- 
dor  Island,  paroling  the  garrison  and  destroying  the 
guns. 

"  On  the  morning  of  May  4th  the  transport  Manila, 
which  had  been  aground  in  .Baker  Bay,  was  towed  off 
and  made  a  prize." 

List  of  the  two  fleets  engaged  at  the  battle  of 
Manila  Bay,  together  with  the  officers  of  the  American 
fleet : ' 

AMERICAN    FLEET. 

The  U.  S.  S.  Olympia,  protected  cruiser,  5,870  tons, 
speed,  2 1 .6  knots.  Battery :  four  8-inch  rifles,  ten 
5-inch  rapid-fire  guns,  fourteen  6-pounder  rapid-fire 
guns,  six  i -pounder  rapid-fire  cannon,  four  Catlings, 
with  six  torpedo  tubes,  and  eight  automobile  tor- 
pedoes. 

The  U.  S.  S.  Baltimore,  protected  cruiser,  4,600 
tons,  speed,  20.09  knots.  Battery :  four  8-inch,  six 
6-inch  rifles,  four  6-pounder,  two  3-pounder  rapid-fire 

'See  Appendix  B  for  types  of  war-ships  and  methods  of  signalling 
while  in  action. 


THE    BATTLE    OF    MANILA    BAY.  87 

guns,  two  I -pounder  rapid-fire  cannon,  four  37-milli- 
metre Hotchkiss  cannon,  and  two  Catlings. 

The  U.  S.  S.  Boston,  protected  cruiser,  3,189  tons, 
speed,  15.6  knots.  Battery:  two  8-inch,  six  6-inch 
rifles,  two  6-pounder,  two  3-pounder  rapid-fire  guns, 
two  i -pounder  rapid-fire  cannon,  two  47-millimetre 
Hotchkiss  cannon,  and  two  Catlings. 

The  U.  S.  S.  Raleigh,  protected  cruiser,  3,213  tons, 
speed,  nineteen  knots.  Battery  :  one  6-inch,  ten  5 -inch 
rapid-fire  guns,  eight  6-pounder  rapid-fire  guns,  four 
i -pounder  rapid-fire  cannon,  and  two  Catlings. 

The  U.  S.  S.  Concord,  gunboat,  1,710  tons,  speed, 
16.8  knots.  Battery:  six  6-inch  rifles,  two  6-pounder, 
two  3-pounder  rapid-fire  guns,  two  37-millimetre  Hotch- 
kiss cannon,  and  two  Catlings. 

The  U.  S.  S.  Petrel,  gunboat,  892  tons,  speed,  11.7 
knots.  Battery  :  four  6-inch  rifles,  one  I -pounder  rapid- 
fire  gun,  two  37-millimetre  Hotchkiss  cannon,  and  two 
Catlings. 

The  U.  S.  S.  McCulloch,  revenue  cutter,  1,500  tons, 
speed,  fourteen  knots.  Battery  :  four  4-inch  guns. 

The  Nanshan  and  Zafiro,  supply  ships. 

SPANISH    FLEET. 

The  Reina  Maria  Christina,  3,520  tons,  speed,  seven- 
teen knots.  Battery  :  six  6.2-inch  hontoria  guns,  two 
2.7-inch  and  three  2. 2-inch  rapid-fire  rifles,  six  i. 4-inch, 
and  two  machine  guns. 


88  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

The  Castillo.,  3,342  tons.  Battery:  four  5.9-inch 
Krupp  rifles,  two  4.7-inch,  two  3. 3-inch,  four  2. 5 -inch 
rapid-fire,  and  two  machine  guns. 

The  Velasco,  1,152  tons.  Battery:  three  5.9-inch 
Armstrong  rifles,  two  2.7-inch  hontorias,  and  two 
machine  guns. 

The  Don  Antonio  de  Ulloa  and  Don  Juan  de  Austria, 
each  1,130  tons,  speed,  fourteen  knots.  Battery:  four 
4.7-inch  hontorias,  three  3.2-inch  rapid-fire,  two  1.5- 
inch,  and  two  machine  guns. 

The  General  Leso,  and  El  Correo,  gun  vessels,  524 
tons,  speed,  11.5  knots.  The  General  Lezo  had  two 
hontoria  rifles  of  4.7-inch  calibre,  one  3. 5-inch,  two 
small  rapid-fire,  and  one  machine  gun  ;  the  El  Correo 
had  three  4.7-inch  guns,  two  small  rapid-fire,  and  two 
machine  guns. 

The  Marques  del  Duero,  despatch-boat,  500  tons. 
Battery:  one  smooth  bore,  six  6.2-inch  calibre,  two 
4. 7-inch  and  one  machine  gun. 

The  Isla  de  Cuba  and  the  Is  la  de  Luzon  were 
both  small  gunboats,  1,030  tons.  Battery:  four  4.7- 
inch  hontorias,  two  small  guns,  and  two  machine 
guns. 

The  Isla  de  Mindanao,  auxiliary  cruiser,  4,195  tons, 
speed,  13.5  knots. 

Two  torpedo-boats  and  two  transports. 

Officers  of  the  U.  S.  Asiatic  Squadron  :  Acting  Rear- 
Admiral  George  Dewey,  commander-in-chief ;  Com- 
mander B.  P.  Lamberton,  chief  of  staff ;  Lieut.  T.  M. 


THE    BATTLE    OF    MANILA    BAY.  89 

Brumby,  flag  lieutenant ;  Ensign  H.  H.  Caldwell, 
secretary. 

U.  S.  S.  Olympia,  flagship  :  Captain,  Charles  V.  Grid- 
ley  ;  Lieutenant-Commander,  S.  C.  Paine  ;  Lieutenants, 
C.  G.  Calkins,  V.  S.  Nelson,  G.  S.  Morgan,  W.  C.  Miller, 
S.  M.  S.  Strite ;  Ensigns,  M.  M.  Taylor,  F.  B.  Upham, 
W.  P.  Scott,  A.  G.  Kavagnah ;  Medical  Inspector,  A.  S. 
Price  ;  Passed  Assistant  Surgeon,  J.  E.  Page  ;  Assistant 
Surgeon,  C.  P.  Kindleberger ;  Pay  Inspector,  D.  A. 
Smith  ;  Chief  Engineer,  J.  Entwistle  ;  Assistant  Engi- 
neers, E.  H.  Delaney,  J.  F.  Marshall,  Jr. ;  Chaplain, 
J.  B.  Frasier  ;  Captain  of  Marines,  W.  P.  Biddle ;  Gun- 
ner, L.  J.  G.  Kuhlwein ;  Carpenter,  W.  McDonald ; 
Acting  Boatswain,  E.  J.  Norcott. 

U.  S.  S.  Raleigh :  Captain,  J.  B.  Coghlan ;  Lieuten- 
ant-Commander, F.  Singer  ;  Lieutenants,  W.  Winder, 
B.  Tappan,  H.  Rodman,  C.  B.  Morgan  ;  Ensigns,  F.  L. 
Chidwick,  P.  Babbit ;  Surgeon,  E.  H.  Marsteller ; 
Assistant  Surgeon,  D.  N.  Carpenter ;  Passed  Assistant 
Paymaster,  S.  R.  Heap ;  Chief  Engineer,  F.  H.  Bailey ; 
Passed  Assistant  Engineer,  A.  S.  Halstead  ;  Assistant 
Engineer,  J.  R.  Brady ;  First  Lieutenant  of  Marines, 
T.  C.  Treadwell ;  Acting  Gunner,  G.  D.  Johnstone ; 
Acting  Carpenter,  T.  E.  Kiley. 

U.  S.  S.  Boston :  Captain,  F.  Wildes ;  Lieutenant- 
Commander,  J.  A.  Norris  ;  Lieutenants,  J.  Gibson,  W.  L. 
Howard ;  Ensigns,  S.  S.  Robinson,  L.  H.  Everhart, 
J.  S.  Doddridge ;  Surgeon,  M.  H.  Crawford  ;  Assistant 
Surgeon,  R.  S.  Balkeman ;  Paymaster,  J.  R.  Martin ; 


9O  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

Chief  Engineer,  G.  B.  Ransom  ;  Assistant  Engineer, 
L.  K.  James ;  First  Lieutenant  of  Marines,  R. 
McM.  Button ;  Gunner,  J.  C.  Evans ;  Carpenter,  I. 
H.  Hilton. 

U.  S.  S.  Baltimore :  Captain,  N.  M.  Dyer  ;  Lieutenant- 
Commander,  G.  Blocklinger ;  Lieutenants,  W.  Brau- 
nersreuther,  A.  G.  Winterhalter,  F.  W.  Kellogg,  J.  M. 
Ellicott,  C.  S.  Stanworth ;  Ensigns,  J.  H.  Hayward, 
M.  D.  McCormick  ;  Naval  Cadets,  D.  W.  Wurtsburgh, 
I.  Z.  Wettenzoll,  C.  M.  Tozer,  T.  A.  Karney  ;  Passed 
Assistant  Surgeon,  F.  A.  Heiseler ;  Assistant  Surgeon, 
R.  K.  Smith  ;  Pay  Inspector,  R.  E.  Bellows ;  Chief 
Engineer,  A.  Kirby ;  Assistant  Engineers,  H.  B.  Price, 
H.  I.  Cone  ;  Naval  Cadet,  C.  P.  Burt ;  Chaplain,  T.  S.  K. 
Freeman ;  First  Lieutenant  of  Marines,  D.  Williams ; 
Acting  Boatswain,  H.  R.  Brayton ;  Acting  Gunner, 
L.  J.  Waller;  Carpenter,  O.  Bath. 

U.  S.  S.  Concord:  Commander,  A.  S.  Walker ;  Lieu- 
tenant-Commander, G.  P.  Colvocoresses ;  Lieutenants, 
T.  B.  Howard,  P.  W.  Horrigan ;  Ensigns,  L.  A.  Kiser, 
W.  C.  Davidson,  O.  S.  Knepper  ;  Passed  Assistant  Sur- 
geon, R.  G.  Broderick ;  Passed  Assistant  Paymaster, 
E.  D.  Ryan  ;  Chief  Engineer,  Richard  Inch ;  Passed 
Assistant  Engineer,  H.  W.  Jones ;  Assistant  Engineer, 
E.  H.  Dunn. 

U.  S.  S.  Petrel:  Commander,  E.  P.  Wood ;  Lieuten- 
ants, E.  M.  Hughes,  B.  A..  Fiske,  A.  N.  Wood,  C.  P. 
Plunkett  ;  Ensigns,  G.  L.  Fermier,  W.  S.  Montgomery ; 
Passed  Assistant  Surgeon,  C.  D.  Brownell ;  Assistant 


THE    BATTLE    OF    MANILA    BAY.  9 1 

Paymaster,  G.  G.  Seibles ;  Passed  Assistant  Engineer, 
R.  T.  Hall. 

Revenue  Cutter  McCulloch :  Captain,  D.  B.  Hodgdon. 

American  loss  :  Two  officers  and  six  men  wounded. 

Spanish  loss  :  About  three  hundred  killed,  and  six 
hundred  wounded. 


CHAPTER  V. 

NEWS    OF    THE    DAY. 

71  /fAY 2.  In  Manila  Bay,  on  Monday,  the  second 
•*•  *-*-  of  May,  there  was  much  to  be  done  in  order  to 
complete  the  work  so  thoroughly  begun  the  day 
previous. 

Early  in  the  morning  an  officer  came  from  Corregi- 
dor,  under  flag  of  truce,  to  Commodore  Dewey,  with  a 
proposal  of  surrender  from  the  commandant  of  the  for- 
tifications. The  Baltimore  was  sent  to  attend  to  the 
business ;  but  when  she  arrived  at  the  island  no  one 
save  the  commanding  officer  was  found.  All  his  men 
had  deserted  him  after  overthrowing  the  guns. 

The  Baltimore  had  but  just  steamed  away,  when 
Commander  Lamberton  was  ordered  to  go  on  board  the 
Petrel  and  run  over  to  Cavite  arsenal  in  order  that  he 
might  take  possession,  for  on  the  previous  day  a  white 
flag  had  been  hoisted  there  as  a  signal  of  surrender. 

To  the  surprise  of  Lamberton  he  found,  on  landing, 
that  the  troops  were  under  arms,  and  Captain  Sostoa, 
of  the  Spanish  navy,  was  in  anything  rather  than  a  sur- 
rendering mood.  On  being  asked  as  to  the  meaning 
of  affairs,  Sostoa  replied  that  the  flag  had  been  hoisted 
for  a  truce,  not  as  a  token  of  capitulation.  He  was 

92 


NEWS    OF   THE    DAY.  93 

given  until  noon  to  decide  as  to  his  course  of  action, 
and  the  Americans  withdrew.  At  10.45  the  white 
flag  was  again  hoisted,  and  when  Lamberton  went  on 
shore  once  more  he  found  that  the  Spaniard  had 
marched  his  men  away,  taking  with  them  all  their 
arms. 

This  was  the  moment  when  the  insurgents,  who  had 
gathered  near  the  town,  believed  their  opportunity 
had  come,  and,  rushing  into  Cavite,  they  began  an 
indiscriminate  plunder  which  was  not  brought  to 
an  end  until  the  American  marines  were  landed. 

The  navy  yard  was  seized  ;  six  batteries  near  about 
the  entrance  of  Manila  Bay  were  destroyed ;  the  cable 
from  Manila  to  Hongkong  was  cut,  and  Commodore 
Dewey  began  a  blockade  of  the  port. 

Congress  appropriated  $35,720,945  for  the  emergency 
war  appropriation  bill. 

Eleven  regiments  of  infantry,  one  of  cavalry,  and  ten 
light  batteries  of  artillery  were  concentrated  at  Tampa 
and  Port  Tampa.  General  Shafter  assumed  command 
on  this  date. 

The  Newport  captured  the  Spanish  schooner  Pace. 

By  cablegram  from  London,  under  date  of  May  2d, 
news  regarding  the  condition  of  affairs  in  Madrid  was 
received.  The  Spanish  public  was  greatly  excited  by 
information  from  the  Philippines,  and  the  authorities 
found  it  necessary  to  proclaim  martial  law,  the  docu- 
ment being  couched  in  warlike  language  beginning : 

"  Whereas,  as   Spain  finds  herself  at   war  with  the 


94  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

United  States,  the  power  of  civil  authorities  in  Spain 
is  suspended. 

"  Whereas,  it  is  necessary  to  prevent  an  impairment 
of  the  patriotic  efforts  which  are  being  made  by  the 
nation  with  manly  energy  and  veritable  enthusiasm ; 

"  Article  i.  A  state  of  siege  in  Madrid  is  hereby 
proclaimed. 

"Article  2.  As  a  consequence  of  article  one,  all 
offences  against  public  order,  those  of  the  press 
included,  will  be  tried  by  the  military  tribunals. 

"  Article  j.  In  article  two  are  included  offences 
committed  by  those  who,  without  special  authorisa- 
tion, shall  publish  news  relative  to  any  operations  of 
war  whatsoever." 

Then  follow  the  articles  which  prohibit  meetings 
and  public  demonstrations. 

Commenting  upon  the  defeat,  the  El  National,  of 
Madrid,  published  the  following  article  : 

"Yesterday,  when  the  first  intelligence  arrived, 
nothing  better  occurred  to  Admiral  Bermejo  (Minister 
of  Marine)  than  to  send  to  all  newspapers  comparative 
statistics  of  the  contending  squadrons.  By  this  com- 
parison he  sought  to  direct  public  attention  to  the  im- 
mense superiority  over  a  squadron  of  wooden  vessels 
dried  up  by  the  heat  in  those  latitudes. 

"  But  in  this  document  Spain  can  see  nothing  kind. 
Spain  undoubtedly  sees  therein  the  heroism  of  our 
marines  ;  but  she  sees  also  and  above  all  the  nefarious 
crime  of  the  government. 


NEWS    OF    THE    DAY.  95 

"  It  is  unfair  to  blame  the  enemy  for  possessing 
forces  superior  to  ours  ;  but  what  is  worthy  of  being 
blamed  with  all  possible  vehemence  is  this  infamous 
government,  which  allowed  our  inferiority  without 
neutralising  it  by  means  of  preparations.  This  is 
the  truth.  Our  sailors  have  been  basely  delivered 
over  to  the  grape-shot  of  the  Yankees,  a  fate  nobler 
and  more  worthy  of  respect  than  those  baneful  minis- 
ters, who  brought  about  the  first  victory  and  its  victims." 

El  Heraldo  de  Madrid  said  :  "  It  was  no  caprice  of 
the  fortunes  of  war.  From  the  very  first  cannon-shot 
our  fragile  ships  were  at  the  mercy  of  the  formidable 
hostile  squadron.  They  were  condemned  to  fall  one 
after  another  under  the  fire  of  the  American  batteries, 
powerless  to  strike,  and  were  defended  only  by  the 
valour  in  the  breasts  of  their  sailors. 

"  What  has  been  gained  by  the  illusion  that  Manila 
was  fortified?  What  has  been  gained  by  the  intima- 
tion that  the  broad  and  beautiful  bay  on  whose  bosom 
the  Spanish  fleet  perished  yesterday  had  been  rendered 
inaccessible  ?  What  use  was  made  of  the  famous 
island  of  Corregidor  ?  What  was  done  with  its  guns  ? 
Where  were  the  torpedoes  ?  Where  were  those  defen- 
sive preparations  concerning  which  we  were  requested 
to  keep  silence  ?  " 

May  2.  Late  in  the  afternoon  the  Wilmington 
destroyed  a  Spanish  fort  on  the  island  of  Cuba,  near 
Cojimar. 

The  government  tug  Leyden  left  Key  West,  towing 


96  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

a  Cuban  expedition  under  government  auspices  to 
establish  communication  with  the  Cuban  forces  in 
Havana  province.  The  expedition  was  accompanied 
by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Acosta.  Under  him  were  five 
other  Cubans.  Colonel  Acosta  formerly  commanded 
a  cavalry  troop  in  Havana  province. 

May  4.  A  telegram  from  Key  West  gave  the  follow- 
ing information  : 

"  Acting  Rear-Admiral  Sampson  sailed  this  morning 
with  all  the  big  vessels  of  his  blockading  squadron  on 
some  mysterious  mission. 

"  In  the  fleet  were  the  flag-ship  New  York,  the  battle- 
ships Iowa  and  Indiana,  the  cruisers  Detroit,  Marble- 
head,  and  Cincinnati,  the  monitor  Puritan,  and  the 
torpedo-gunboat  Mayflower. 

"  The  war-ships  are  coaled  to  the  full  capacity  of 
their  bunkers,  and  all  available  places  on  the  decks  are 
piled  high  with  coal." 

On  the  same  day  the  Norwegian  steamer  Condor 
arrived  with  twelve  American  refugees  and  their  imme- 
diate relatives  from  Cienfuegos,  Cuba. 

Dr.  Herman  Mazarredo,  a  dentist,  who  had  been 
practising  his  profession  in  Cienfuegos  for  eight 
months,  after  six  years'  study  in  the  United  States, 
was  one  of  the  passengers.  He  gave  the  following 
account  of  himself : 

"  Because  the  Spaniards  hated  me  as  intensely  as  if 
I  had  been  born  in  America,  I  was  obliged  to  flee  for 
my  life.  I  left  my  mother,  six  sisters,  and  five  brothers 


NEWS   OF   THE    DAY.  97 

in  Cienfuegos.  I  consider  that  their  lives  are  in  danger. 
May  heaven  protect  them  !  What  was  I  to  do  ? 

"There  are  now  about  two  hundred  Americans  at 
Cienfuegos  clamouring  to  get  away.  They  are  sending 
to  Boston  and  New  York  for  steamers,  but  without 
avail.  Owen  McGarr,  the  American  consul,  told  me 
on  his  departure  that  the  Spanish  law  would  protect 
me.  Other  Americans  would  have  come  on  the  Condor, 
but  Captain  Miller  would  not  take  them.  There  was 
not  room  for  them.  The  Spanish  soldiers  have  not  yet 
become  personally  insulting  on  the  streets,  but  a  mob 
of  Spanish  residents  marched  through  the  city  four 
days  before  the  Condor  left,  shouting,  '  We  want  to  kill 
all  Americans.' 

"  There  are  between  four  thousand  and  six  thousand 
Spanish  troops  concentrating  at  Cienfuegos  under  com- 
mand of  Major-General  Aguirre.  They  have  thrown  up 
some  very  poor  breastworks.  Three  ground-batteries 
look  toward  the  open  sea." 

Bread  riots  broke  out  in  Spain.  In  Gijon,  on  the 
Bay  of  Biscay,  the  rioters  made  a  stand  and  were  fired 
upon  by  the  troops.  Fourteen  were  killed  or  wounded, 
yet  the  infuriated  populace  held  their  ground,  nor  were 
they  driven  back  until  the  artillery  was  ordered  out. 
Then  a  portion  of  the  soldiers  joined  the  mob  ;  a  can- 
non with  ammunition  was  seized,  and  directed  against 
the  fortification.  A  state  of  siege  was  declared,  and 
an  order  issued  that  all  the  bread  be  baked  in  the  gov- 
ernment bakeries,  because  the  mob  had  looted  the  shops. 


98  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

At  Talavera  de  la  Reina,  thirty-six  miles  from  Toledo, 
a  mob  attacked  the  railroad  station,  entirely  destroying 
it,  setting  fire  to  the  cars,  and  starting  the  engines  wild 
upon  the  track.  They  burned  several  houses  owned 
by  officials,  and  sacked  a  monastery,  forcing  the  priests 
to  flee  for  their  lives.  Procuring  wine  from  the  inns, 
they  grew  more  bold,  and  made  an  attack  upon  the 
prison,  hoping  to  release  those  confined  there ;  but  at 
this  point  they  were  held  in  check  by  the  guard. 

The  miners  of  Oviedo  inaugurated  a  strike,  com- 
mencing by  inciting  riots.  At  Caceres  several  people 
were  killed.  At  Malaga  a  mob  rode  down  the  guards 
and  looted  the  shops.  The  British  steam  yacht  Lady 
of  Clonmel,  owned  by  Mr.  James  Wilkinson,  of  London, 
was  attacked  as  she  lay  at  the  pier.  Stones  smashed 
her  skylights,  and  a  bomb  was  thrown  aboard,  but  did 
not  explode.  The  yacht  put  hurriedly  to  sea,  and  from 
Gibraltar  reported  the  outrage  to  London. 

May  5.  The  government  tug  Leyden,  which  on  the 
second  day  of  May  left  Key  West  with  a  Cuban  expe- 
dition, returned  to  port,  giving  the  following  account 
of  her  voyage  : 

She  proceeded  to  a  certain  point  near  Mariel,  and 
landed  five  men,  with  four  boxes  of  ammunition  and 
two  horses. 

General  Acosta  penetrated  to  the  interior,  where  he 
communicated  with  the  forces  of  the  insurgents. 

The  Leyden  lay  to  outside  the  harbour  until  five 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  when,  observing  a  troop  of 


NEWS    OF    THE    DAY.  99 

Spanish  infantry  approaching,  she  put  to  sea  and 
got  safely  away. 

She  proceeded  to  Matanzas,  and  on  the  afternoon  of 
the  third  landed  another  small  party  near  there. 

Fearing  attack  by  the  Spaniards,  she  looked  for  the 
monitors  Terror  and  Amphitrite,  which  were  on  the 
blockade  in  that  vicinity,  but  being  unable  to  locate 
them  the  Leyden  returned  to  the  original  landing- 
place,  reaching  there  early  on  the  morning  of  the 
fourth. 

There  she  was  met  by  Acosta  and  about  two  hun- 
dred Cubans,  half  of  whom  were  armed  with  rifles. 
They  united  with  the  men  on  the  tug,  and  an 
attempt  was  made  to  land  the  remaining  arms  and 
men,  when  two  hundred  of  the  Villa  Viscosa  cavalry 
swooped  down  on  them,  and  an  engagement  of  a  half 
hour's  duration  followed. 

The  Cubans  finally  repulsed  the  enemy,  driving 
them  into  the  woods.  The  Spanish  carried  with 
them  many  wounded  and  left  sixteen  dead  on  the 
field. 

During  the  engagement  the  bullets  went  through 
the  Leyden  s  smoke-stack,  but  no  one  was  injured. 

The  little  tug  then  went  in  search  of  the  flag-ship, 
found  her  lying  near  Havana,  and  reported  the 
facts. 

Rear-Admiral  Sampson  sent  the  gunboat  Wilming- 
ton back  with  the  Leyden. 

The  two  vessels  reached  the  scene  of  the  landing 


IOO  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

on  the  afternoon  of  the  fourth,  and  found  the  Span- 
ish cavalry  in  waiting  to  welcome  another  attempted 
invasion. 

The  Wilmington  promptly  opened  fire  on  a  number 
of  small  houses  marking  the  entrance  to  the  place. 

The  gunboat  fired  four  shots,  which  drove  back 
the  Spaniards,  and  Captain  Dorst,  with  the  ammu- 
nition, landed  safely,  the  Leyden  returning  to  Key 
West. 

May  6.  Orders  were  given  from  Washington  to 
release  the  French  mail  steamer,  Lafayette,  and  to 
send  her  to  Havana  under  escort.  The  capture  of 
the  Frenchman  by  the  gunboat  Annapolis  was  an 
unfortunate  incident,  resulting  from  a  mistake,  but 
no  protest  was  made  by  the  representatives  of  the 
French  government  in  the  United  States.  It  ap- 
peared that,  before  the  Lafayette  sailed  for  Havana, 
the  French  legation  in  Washington  was  instructed 
to  communicate  with  the  State  Department.  This 
was  done  and  permission  was  granted  to  the  steamer 
to  enter  and  discharge  her  passengers  and  cargo, 
with  the  understanding  that  she  would  take  on  noth- 
ing there.  Instructions  for  the  fulfilment  of  such 
agreement  were  sent  from  Washington  to  Admiral 
Sampson's  squadron,  and  it  was  only  learned  after  the 
capture  was  made  that  they  were  never  delivered. 

The  War  Department  issued  an  order  organising  the 
regular  and  volunteer  forces  into  seven  army  corps. 

The  following  letter  needs  no  explanation  : 


NEWS    OF   THE    DAY.  IOI 

"  597  FIFTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK. 
"TREASURER  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES, 

Washington,  D.  C. 

"  Dear  Sir:  —  Some  days  ago  I  wrote  President 
McKinley  offering  the  government  the  sum  of 
$100,000  for  use  in  the  present  difficulty  with 
Spain.  He  writes  me  that  he  has  no  official  au- 
thority to  receive  moneys  in  behalf  of  the  United 
States,  and  he  suggests  that  my  purpose  can  best  be 
served  by  making  a  deposit  with  the  assistant  treas- 
urer at  New  York  to  the  credit  of  the  treasurer  of 
the  United  States,  or  by  remitting  my  check  direct 
to  you  at  Washington.  I,  therefore,  enclose  my  check 
for  the  above  amount,  drawn  payable  to  your  order 
on  the  Lincoln  National  Bank.  Will  you  kindly 
acknowledge  the  receipt  of  the  same  ? 
"  Very  truly, 

"  HELEN  MILLER  GOULD. 
"May  6,  1898." 

It  was  replied  to  twenty-four  hours  later : 

"Treasury  Department  of  the  United  States. 

"  Office  of  the  Treasury. 
"WASHINGTON,  D.  C,  May  7,  1898. 
"Miss  HELEN  MILLER  GOULD, 

597  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York,  N.  Y. 
"Madam:  —  It  gives  me   especial    pleasure   to    ac- 
knowledge the  receipt  of  your  letter  under  date  of  May 


IO2  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

6,  1898,  enclosing  your  check  for  $100,000,  according 
to  your  previous  offer  to  President  McKinley,  for  the 
government.  This  sum  has  been  placed  in  the  gen- 
eral fund  of  the  treasury  of  the  United  States  as  a 
donation  from  you,  for  use  in  the  present  difficulty  with 
Spain.  Permit  me  to  recognise  the  superb  patriotism 
which  prompts  you  to  make  this  magnificent  gift  to  the 
government.  Certificates  of  deposit  will  follow  in  due 
course.  Respectfully  yours, 

"  ELLIS  H.   ROBERTS, 
"  Treasurer  of  the  United  States." 

May  6.  The  torpedo-boats  Dupont  and  Hornet 
shelled  the  blockhouse  near  the  lighthouse  at  Point 
Maya,  at  the  mouth  of  the  harbour  of  Matanzas, 
and  Fort  Garcia,  which  is  an  old  hacienda  used  as 
a  blockhouse,  lying  three  and  one-half  miles  to  the 
east. 

As  the  Dupont  was  leaving  her  position  off  the 
lighthouse  point,  a  big  shell  was  fired  from  the  middle 
embrasure  of  a  battery  on  the  other  side  of  the  harbour, 
called  Gorda.  The  line  was  perfect,  but  the  elevation 
was  bad,  and  the  range  too  long.  The  shell  fell  a 
thousand  yards  short.  The  Hornet  was  ordered  to  use 
her  6-pounders  on  the  blockhouse.  The  first  shell 
failed  of  its  purpose  ;  but  the  second  hit  the  target 
fairly,  and  the  Spanish  soldiers  hurriedly  left  it  for 
shelter  among  the  neighbouring  trees. 

The  Hornet  fired  twelve  shells,  six  of  which  struck 


NEWS    OF    THE    DAY.  103 

the  mark.  The  Dufiont,  after  ascertaining  that  Point 
Maya  was  being  made  too  warm  for  Spanish  occupa- 
tion, steamed  down  to  a  blockhouse  opposite,  called 
Garcia  Red,  and  a  prominent  landmark  to  the  eastward, 
and  turned  loose  her  I -pounders. 

Here,  as  in  the  other  place,  the  infantry  had  urgent 
business  behind  the  forest  woods  and  hills.  After 
making  certain  they  had  gone  to  stay,  the  Dupont 
resumed  patrol  duty.  Cavalry  afterward  appeared  at 
Fortina,  but  remained  there  only  long  enough  to  see 
the  torpedo-boat's  menacing  attitude. 

May  6.  The  cruiser  Montgomery,  Captain  Converse, 
was  the  first  ship  of  the  American  squadron  to  acquire 
the  distinction  of  capturing  two  prizes  in  one  day,  which 
she  did  on  the  sixth.  The  captives  were  the  Frasquito 
and  the  Lorenzo,  both  small  vessels  of  no  great  value  as 
compared  with  the  big  steamers  taken  during  the  first 
days  of  the  war. 

The  Montgomery  was  cruising  about  fifty  miles  off 
Havana  when  the  Frasquito,  a  two-master,  came  bowl- 
ing along  toward  the  Cuban  capital.  When  the  yellow 
flag  of  the  enemy  was  sighted  the  helm  was  swung  in 
her  direction,  and  a  blank  shot  was  put  across  her 
bow.  The  Spaniard  hove  to  and  the  customary 
prize-crew  was  put  on  board.  It  was  found  that  the 
Frasquito  was  bound  from  Montevideo  to  Havana 
with  a  cargo  of  jerked  beef.  She  was  of  about  140 
tons  register  and  hailed  from  Barcelona.  The  prize- 
crew  took  her  to  Havana  waters,  and  the  Annapolis 


IO4  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

assigned  the  cutter  Hamilton  to  carry  her  into  Key 
West. 

A  few  minutes  afterwards  the  Montgomery  encoun- 
tered the  Lorenzo,  a  Spanish  bark,  bound  from  Barce- 
lona to  Havana  with  a  cargo  of  dried  beef.  She  was 
taken  just  as  easily,  and  Ensign  Osborn,  with  several 
"  Jackies,"  sailed  her  into  port. 

May  f.  Quite  a  sharp  little  affair  occurred  off 
Havana,  in  which  the  Vicksburg  and  the  cutter  Mor- 
rill  were  very  nearly  enticed  to  destruction. 

A  small  schooner  was  sent  out  from  Havana  harbour 
shortly  before  daylight  to  draw  some  of  the  Americans 
into  an  ambuscade. 

She  ran  off  to  the  eastward,  hugging  the  shore  with 
the  wind  on  her  starboard  quarter.  About  three  miles 
east  of  the  entrance  of  the  harbour  she  came  over  on 
the  port  tack. 

A  light  haze  fringed  the  horizon,  and  she  was  not 
discovered  until  three  miles  off  shore,  when  the  May- 
flower made  her  out  and  signalled  the  Vicksburg  and 
Morrill.  Captain  Smith  of  the  Vicksburg  immediately 
clapped  on  all  steam  and  started  in  pursuit. 

The  schooner  instantly  put  about  and  ran  for  Morro 
Castle  before  the  wind.  On  doing  so,  she  would, 
according  to  the  plot,  lead  the  two  American  war- 
ships directly  under  the  guns  of  the  Santa  Clara 
batteries. 

These  works  are  a  short  mile  west  of  Morro,  and  are 
a  part  of  the  defences  of  the  harbour.  There  were  two 


NEWS    OF    THE    DAY.  105 

batteries,  one  at  the  shore,  which  had  been  recently 
thrown  up,  of  sand  and  mortar,  with  wide  embrasures 
for  8-inch  guns,  and  the  other  on  the  crest  of  the 
rocky  eminence  which  juts  out  into  the  waters  of 
the  gulf  at  the  point.  The  upper  battery  mounted 
modern  10  and  1 2-inch  Krupp  guns,  behind  a  six- 
foot  stone  parapet,  in  front  of  which  were  twenty  feet 
of  earthwork  and  belting  of  railroad  iron. 

The  American  vessels  were  about  six  miles  from  the 
schooner  when  the  chase  began.  They  steamed  after 
her  at  full  speed,  the  Morrill  leading,  until  within  a 
mile  and  a  half  of  the  Santa  Clara  batteries. 

Commander  Smith  of  the  Vicksburg  was  the  first  to 
realise  the  danger  into  which  the  reckless  pursuit  had 
led  them.  He  concluded  it  was  time  to  haul  off,  and 
sent  a  shot  across  the  bow  of  the  schooner. 

The  Spanish  skipper  instantly  brought  his  vessel 
about,  but  while  she  was  still  rolling  in  the  trough  of 
the  sea  with  her  sails  flapping,  an  8- inch  shrapnel 
shell  came  hurtling  through  the  air  from  the  water- 
battery,  a  mile  and  a  half  away. 

It  passed  over  the  Morrill,  between  the  pilot-house 
and  the  smoke-stack,  and  exploded  less  than  fifty  feet 
away  on  the  port  quarter. 

Two  more  shots  followed  in  quick  succession,  both 
shrapnel.  One  burst  close  under  the  starboard  quarter, 
filling  the  engine-room  with  the  smoke  of  the  exploding 
shell,  and  the  other,  like  the  first,  passed  over  and 
exploded  just  beyond. 


IO6  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

The  Spanish  gunners  had  the  range,  and  their  time 
fuses  were  accurately  set. 

The  crews  of  both  ships  were  at  their  guns.     Lieu-  • 
tenant   Craig,   who  was  in  charge  of  the  bow  4-inch 
rapid-fire  gun  of  the  Morrill,  asked  for  and  obtained 
permission  to  return  the  fire. 

At  the  first  shot  the  Vicksburg,  which  was  in  the 
wake  of  the  Morrill,  slightly  inshore,  sheered  off  and 
passed  to  windward  under  the  Merrill's  stern.  In  the 
meantime  Captain  Smith  also  put  his  helm  to  port,  and 
was  none  too  soon,  for  as  the  Morrill  stood  off  a  solid 
8-inch  shot  grazed  her  starboard  quarter  and  kicked 
up  tons  of  water  as  it  struck  a  wave  one  hundred  yards 
beyond. 

All  the  guns  of  the  water-battery  were  now  at  work. 
One  of  them  cut  the  Jacob' s-ladder  of  the  Vicksburg 
adrift,  and  another  carried  away  a  portion  of  the  rigging. 

As  the  vessels  steamed  away  their  aft  guns  were 
used,  but  only  a  few  shots  were  fired. 

The  Merrill's  6-inch  gun  was  elevated  for  four 
thousand  yards,  and  struck  the  earthwork  repeatedly. 
The  Vicksburg  discharged  only  three  shots  from  her 
6-pounder. 

The  Spaniards  continued  to  fire  shot  and  shell  for 
twenty  minutes,  but  none  of  the  latter  shots  came 
within  one  hundred  yards. 

Later  in  the  day  the  Morrill  captured  the  Spanish 
schooner  Espana,  bound  for  Havana,  and  towed  the 
prize  to  Key  West. 


JOHN    D.    LONG,    SECRETARY    OF    NAVY. 


NEWS    OF   THE    DAY.  1 07 

The  Newport  added  to  the  list  of  captures  by  bring- 
ing in  the  Spanish  schooner  Padre  de  Dies. 

May  7.  The  United  States  despatch-boat  McCtilloch 
arrived  at  Hongkong  from  Manila,  with  details  of 
Commodore  Dewey's  victory. 

Secretary  Long,  after  the  cablegram  forwarded  from 
Hongkong  had  been  received,  sent  the  following 
despatch  : 

"  The  President,  in  the  name  of  the  American  people, 
thanks  you  and  your  officers  and  men  for  your  splendid 
achievement  and  overwhelming  victory.  In  recognition 
he  has  appointed  you  acting  admiral,  and  will  rec- 
ommend a  vote  of  thanks  to  you  by  Congress  as  a 
foundation  for  further  promotion." 

May  8.  A  brilliant,  although  unimportant,  affair  was 
that  in  which  the  torpedo-boat  Winslow  engaged  off 
Cardenas  Bay. 

The  Winslow  and  gunboat  Machias  were  on  the 
blockade  off  Cardenas. 

In  the  harbour,  defended  by  thickly  strewn  mines 
and  torpedoes,  three  small  gunboats  had  been  bottled 
up  since  the  beginning* of  the  war.  Occasionally  they 
stole  out  toward  the  sea,  but  never  venturing  beyond 
the  inner  harbour,  running  like  rabbits  at  sight  of  the 
American  torpedo  boats. 

Finally  a  buoy  was  moored  by  Spaniards  inside  the 
entrance  of  the  bay  to  mark  the  position  for  the 
entrance  of  the  gunboats.  The  signal-station  on 
the  shore  opposite  was  instructed  to  notify  the  gun- 


IO8  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

boats  inside  when  the  torpedo-boats  were  within  the 
limit  distance  marked  by  the  buoy. 

The  scheme  was  that  the  gunboats  could  run  out, 
open  fire  at  a  one-mile  range  thus  marked  off  for  them, 
and  retreat  without  the  chance  of  being  cut  off.  The 
men  of  the  Winslow  eyed  this  buoy  and  guessed  its 
purpose,  but  did  not  attempt  to  remove  it. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  eighth  the  Machias  stood 
away  to  the  eastward  for  a  jaunt,  and  the  Winslow  was 
left  alone  to  maintain  the  blockade. 

In  a  short  time  she  steamed  toward  Cardenas 
Harbour.  There  was  great  excitement  at  the  signal- 
station,  and  flags  fluttered  hysterically.  The  three 
gunboats  slipped  their  cables  and  went  bravely  out  to 
their  safety  limit. 

Three  bow  6-pounders  were  trained  at  two  thousand 
yards.  In  a  few  minutes  the  shore  signals  told  them 
that  the  torpedo-boat  was  just  in  range.  Every  Span- 
iard aboard  prepared  to  see  the  Americans  blown  out  of 
the  water. 

Three  6-pounders  crackled,  and  three  shells  threw 
waterspouts  around  the  Winslow,  but  she  was  not 
struck.  Instead  of  running  away,  she  upset  calcula- 
tions by  driving  straight  ahead,  attacking  the  boats, 
and  Lieutenant  Bernado  no  sooner  saw  the  first  white 
smoke  puffs  from  the  Spanish  guns  than  he  gave  the 
word  to  the  men  already  stationed  at  the  two  forward 
i -pounders,  which  barked  viciously  and  dropped  shot 
in  the  middle  of  the  flotilla. 


NEWS    OF   THE    DAY.  IOQ 

On  plunged  the  Winslow  to  within  fifteen  hundred 
yards  of  the  gunboats,  while  the  row  raised  by  the 
rapid-fire  i -pounders  was  like  a  rattling  tattoo. 

The  Spaniards  were  apparently  staggered  at  this 
fierce  onslaught,  single-handed,  and  fired  wildly.  The 
Winslow  swung  around  broadside  to,  to  bring  her  two 
after  guns  to  bear  as  the  Spanish  boats  scattered  and 
lost  formation. 

The  Winslow  soon  manoeuvred  so  that  she  was 
peppering  at  all  three  gunboats  at  once.  The  sea  was 
very  heavy,  and  the  knife-like  torpedo-boat  rolled  so 
wildly  that  it  was  impossible  to  do  good  gun  practice, 
but  despite  this  big  handicap,  the  rapidity  of  her  fire 
and  the  remarkable  effectiveness  of  her  guns  demoral- 
ised all  three  opponents,  which,  after  the  Winslow  had 
fired  about  fifty  shells,  began  to  gradually  work  back 
toward  the  shelter  of  the  harbour. 

They  were  still  hammering  away  with  their  6- 
pounders,  but  were  wild.  Several  shells  passed  over 
the  Winslow.  One  exploded  a  hundred  feet  astern, 
but  the  others  fell  short. 

At  last  a  i -pounder  from  the  Winslow  went  fair 
and  true,  and  struck  the  hull  of  the  Lopez  a  little  aft  of 
amidships,  apparently  exploding  on  the  inside. 

The  Winslow  men  yelled.  The  Lopez  stopped,  evi- 
dently disabled,  while  one  of  her  comrades  went  to  her 
assistance.  By  this  time  the  Spanish  boats  had  re- 
treated nearly  inside,  where  they  could  not  be  followed 
because  of  the  mines.  The  Lopez  got  under  way 


I  IO  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

slowly  and  limped  homeward  with  the  help  of  a  towline 
from  her  consort. 

During  this  episode  the  Machias  had  returned,  and 
when  within  a  two-mile  range  let  fly  two  4-inch 
shells  from  her  starboard  battery,  which  accelerated  the 
Spanish  flight.  But  the  flotilla  managed  to  creep  back 
into  Cardenas  Harbour  in  safety,  and  under  the  guns  of 
the  shore-battery. 

The  Spanish  gunboats  that  lured  the  Winslow  into 
the  death-trap  were  the  Antonio  Lopez,  Lealtad,  and 
Ligera.  During  the  fight  the  two  former  retreated 
behind  the  wharves,  and  the  Ligera  behind  the  key.  It 
was  the  Antonio  Lopez  that  opened  fire  on  the  Winslow 
and  decoyed  her  into  the  channel.  The  Spanish  troops 
formed  on  the  public  square,  not  daring  to  go  to  the 
wharves.  All  the  Spanish  flags  were  lowered,  as  they 
furnished  targets,  and  the  women  and  children  fled  to 
Jovellanos. 

Off  Havana  during  the  afternoon  the  fishing-smack 
Santiago  Apostal  was  captured  by  the  U.  S.  S.  New- 
port. 

The  U.  S.  S.  Yale  captured  the  Spanish  steamer  Rita 
on  the  eighth,  but  did  not  succeed  in  getting  the  prize 
into  port  until  the  thirteenth.  The  Rita  was  loaded 
with  coal,  from  Liverpool  to  Porto  Rico. 

The  bread  riots  in  Spain  continued  throughout  the 
day.  At  Linates  a  crowd  of  women  stormed  the  town 
hall  and  the  civil  guard  fired  upon  them,  killing  twelve. 
El  Pats,  the  popular  republican  newspaper  in  Madrid, 


NEWS    OF    THE    DAY.  I  I  I 

was  suppressed  ;  martial  law  was  declared  at  Badajos 
and  Alicante. 

May  9.  Congress  passed  a  joint  resolution  of 
thanks  to  Commodore  Dewey ;  the  House  passed  a  bill 
increasing  the  number  of  rear-admirals  from  six  to 
seven,  and  the  Senate  passed  a  bill  to  give  Dewey  a 
sword,  and  a  bronze  memorative  medal  to  each  officer 
and  man  of  his  command. 

The  record  of  the  navy  for  the  day  was  summed  up 
in  the  capture  of  the  fishing-smack  Fernandito  by  the 
U.  S.  S.  Vicksburg,  and  the  capture  of  the  Spanish 
schooner  Severito  by  the  U.  S.  S.  Dolphin. 

The  rioting  in  Spain  was  not  abated  ;  martial  law  was 
proclaimed  in  Catalonia. 

May  10.  The  steamer  Gussie  sailed  from  Tampa, 
Florida,  with  two  companies  of  the  First  Infantry,  and 
munitions  and  supplies  for  Cuban  insurgents. 

Rioting  in  Spain  was  the  report  by  cable  ;  in  Alicante 
the  mob  sacked  and  burned  a  bonded  warehouse. 

May  ii.  Running  from  Cienfuegos,  Cuba,  at  day- 
break on  the  morning  of  May  nth,  were  three  tele- 
graph cables.  The  fleet  in  the  neighbourhood  consisted 
of  the  cruiser  Marblehead,  which  had  been  on  the 
station  three  weeks,  the  gunboat  Nashville,  which  had 
been  there  two  weeks,  and  the  converted  revenue  cutter 
Windom,  which  had  arrived  two  days  before.  The  sta- 
tion had  been  a  quiet  one,  except  for  a  few  brushes 
with  some  Spanish  gunboats,  which  occasionally  ven- 
tured a  very  little  way  out  of  Cienfuegos  Harbour. 


112  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

They  had  last  appeared  on  the  tenth,  but  had  retreated, 
as  usual,  when  fired  on. 

Commander  McCalla  of  the  Marblehead,  ranking 
officer,  instructed  Lieutenant  Anderson  to  call  for 
volunteers  to  cut  the  cable  early  on  the  morning  of  the 
eleventh.  Anderson  issued  the  call  on  both  the  cruiser 
and  the  gunboat,  and  three  times  the  desired  number  of 
men  offered  to  serve.  No  one  relented,  even  after 
repeated  warnings  that  the  service  was  especially 
dangerous. 

"  I  want  you  men  to  understand,"  Anderson  said, 
"  that  you  are  not  ordered  to  do  this  work,  and  are  not 
obliged  to." 

The  men  nearly  tumbled  over  one  another  in  their 
eagerness  to  be  selected.  In  the  end,  the  officer  had 
simply  the  choice  of  the  entire  crew  of  the  two  ships. 

A  cutter  containing  twelve  men,  and  a  steam  launch 
containing  six,  were  manned  from  each  ship,  and  a 
guard  of  marines  and  men  to  man  the  I -pounder 
guns  of  the  launches,  were  put  on  board.  In  the 
meantime  the  Marblehead  had  taken  a  position  one 
thousand  yards  offshore  opposite  the  Colorado  Point 
lighthouse,  which  is  on  the  east  side  of  the  narrow 
entrance  to  Cienfuegos  Harbour,  just  east  of  the  cable 
landing,  and,  with  the  Nashville  a  little  farther  to  the 
west,  had  begun  shelling  the  beach. 

The  shore  there  is  low,  and  covered  with  a  dense 
growth  of  high  grass  and  reeds.  The  lighthouse  stood 
on  an  elevation,  behind  which,  as  well  as  hidden  in  the 


NEWS    OF    THE    DAY.  113 

long  grass,  were  known  to  be  a  large  number  of  rifle- 
pits,  some  masked  machine  guns,  and  i -pounders. 
These  the  Spaniards  deserted  as  fast  as  the  ships'  fire 
reached  them.  As  the  enemy's  fire  slackened  and  died 
out,  the  boats  were  ordered  inshore. 

They  advanced  in  double  column.  The  launches, 
under  Lieutenant  Anderson  and  Ensign  McGruder  of 
the  Nashville,  went  ahead  with  their  sharpshooters  and 
gunners,  looking  eagerly  for  targets,  while  the  cutters 
were  behind  with  the  grappling-irons  out,  and  the 
men  peering  into  the  green  water  for  a  sight  of  the 
cables.  At  a  distance  of  two  hundred  feet  from 
shore  the  launches  stopped,  and  the  cutters  were  sent 
ahead. 

The  first  cable  was  picked  up  about  ninety  feet  off- 
shore. No  sooner  had  the  work  of  cutting  it  been 
begun  than  the  Spanish  fire  recommenced,  the  soldiers 
skulking  back  to  their  deserted  rifle-pits  and  rapid-fire 
guns  through  the  high  grass.  The  launches  replied 
and  the  fire  from  the  ships  quickened,  but  although  the 
Spanish  volleys  slackened  momentarily,  every  now  and 
then  they  grew  stronger. 

The  men  in  the  boats  cut  a  long  piece  out  of  the  first 
cable,  stowed  it  away  for  safety,  and  then  grappled  for 
the  next.  Meantime  the  Spaniards  were  firing  low  in 
an  evident  endeavour  to  sink  the  cutters,  but  many  of 
their  shots  fell  short.  The  second  cable  was  finally 
found,  and  the  men  with  the  pipe-cutters  went  to  work 
on  it. 


I  14  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

Several  sailors  were  kept  at  the  oars  to  hold  the 
cutters  in  position,  and  the  first  man  wounded  was  one 
of  these.  No  one  else  in  the  boat  knew  it,  however, 
till  he  fainted  in  his  seat  from  loss  of  blood.  Others 
took  the  cue  from  this,  and  there  was  not  a  groan  or  a 
complaint  from  the  two  boats,  as  the  bullets,  that  were 
coming  thicker  and  faster  every  minute,  began  to  bite 
flesh. 

The  men  simply  possessed  themselves  with  heroic 
patience,  and  went  on  with  the  work.  They  did  not 
even  have  the  satisfaction  of  returning  the  Spanish  fire, 
but  the  marines  in  the  stern  of  the  boat  shot  hard 
enough  for  all. 

The  second  cable  was  finally  cut,  and  the  third,  a 
smaller  one,  was  grappled  and  hoisted  to  the  surface. 
The  fire  of  the  Spanish  had  reached  its  maximum.  It 
was  estimated  that  one  thousand  rifles  and  guns  were 
speaking,  and  the  men  who  handled  them  grew  incau- 
tious, and  exposed  themselves  in  groups  here  and 
there. 

"  Use  shrapnel,"  came  the  signal,  and  can  after  can 
exploded  over  the  Spaniards,  causing  them  to  break 
and  run  to  cover. 

This  cover  was  a  sort  of  fortification  behind  the 
lighthouse,  and  to  this  place  they  dragged  a  number  of 
their  machine  guns,  and  again  opened  fire  on  the 
cutter.  The  shots  from  behind  the  lighthouse  could 
not  be  answered  so  well  from  the  launches,  and  the 
encouraged  Spaniards  fired  all  the  oftener. 


NEWS    OF   THE    DAY.  115 

Man  after  man  in  the  boats  was  hit,  but  none  let  a 
sound  escape  him.  Like  silent  machines  they  worked, 
grimly  hacking  and  tearing  at  the  third  cable.  Dur- 
ing half  an  hour  they  laboured,  but  the  fire  from  behind 
the  lighthouse  was  too  deadly,  and,  reluctantly,  at  Lieu- 
tenant Anderson's  signal,  the  cable  was  dropped  and 
the  boats  retreated. 

The  work  had  lasted  two  hours  and  a  half. 

The  Windom,  which  had  laid  out  of  range  with  a 
collier,  was  now  ordered  in,  and  the  surgeon  called  to 
attend  the  wounded.  The  Window  was  signalled  to 
shell  the  lighthouse,  which  had  not  been  fired  on 
before,  according  to  the  usages  of  international  law. 
It  had  been  used  as  a  shelter  by  the  Spaniards.  The 
revenue  cutter's  rapid-fire  guns  riddled  the  structure 
in  short  order,  and  soon  a  shell  from  the  4-inch  gun, 
which  was  in  charge  of  Lieut.  R.  O.  Crisp,  struck  it 
fair,  exploded,  and  toppled  it  over. 

With  the  collapse  of  their  protection  the  Spaniards 
broke  and  ran  again,  the  screaming  shrapnel  bursting 
all  around  them. 

At  the  fall  of  the  lighthouse  the  Marblehead  sig- 
nalled, "Well  done,"  and  then  a  moment  later,  "Cease 
firing." 

The  only  man  killed  instantly  was  a  marine  named 
Eagan.  A  sailor  from  one  of  the  boats  died  of  his 
wounds  on  the  same  day.  Commander  Maynard  of 
the  Nashville  was  grazed  across  the  chest,  and  Lieu- 
tenant Winslow  was  wounded  in  the  hand. 


Il6  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

The  list  of  casualties  resulting  from  this  display  of 
heroism  was  two  killed,  two  fatally  and  four  badly 
wounded.  The  Spanish  loss  could  not  be  ascertained, 
but  it  must  necessarily  have  been  heavy. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

CARDENAS    AND    SAN    JUAN. 

1  /fA  V  ii.  The  Spanish  batteries  in  Cardenas  Har- 
•*  *-*•  hour  were  silenced  on  May  I  ith,  and  at  the 
same  time  there  was  a  display  of  heroism,  on  the  part 
of  American  sailors,  such  as  has  never  been  surpassed. 

A  plan  of  action  having  been  decided  upon,  the 
Wilmington  arrived  at  the  blockading  station  from  Key 
West  on  the  morning  of  the  eleventh.  She  found  there, 
off  Piedras  Bay,  the  cruiser  Machias,  the  torpedo-boat 
Winslow,  and  the  revenue  cutter  Hudson,  which  last 
carried  two  6-pounders.  Shortly  after  noon  the  Wil- 
mington, Winslow,  and  Hudson  moved  into  the  inner 
harbour  of  Cardenas,  and  prepared  to  draw  the  fire  of 
the  Spanish  batteries  on  the  water-front.  The  Wil- 
mington took  a  range  of  about  twenty-five  hundred 
yards. 

The  Cardenas  land  defences  consisted  of  a  battery 
in  a  stone  fortification  on  the  mole  or  quay,  a  battery 
of  field-pieces,  and  of  infantry  armed  with  long-range 
rifles.  The  gunboats  were  equipped  with  rapid-fire 
guns. 

Firing  commenced  at  one  o'clock,  and  when  the 
Cardenas  batteries  were  silenced  at  two  in  the  afternoon, 

117 


Il8  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

the  Wilmington  had  sent  376  shells  into  them  and  the 
town.  Her  4-inch  guns  had  been  fired  144  times. 
She  had  aimed  122  shots  from  her  6-pounders,  and 
no  from  her  i-pounders,  over  six  shots  a  minute. 

When  the  Wilmington  ceased  firing  she  had  moved 
up  to  within  one  thousand  yards  range  of  the  Spanish 
guns,  and  there  were  only  six  inches  of  water  under  her 
keel.  The  Wilmington  draws  nine  feet  of  water  for- 
ward and  ten  and  a  half  feet  aft.  When  the  sound- 
ings showed  that  she  was  almost  touching,  her  guns 
were  in  full  play,  and  the  Spaniards  had  missed  a 
beautiful  opportunity.  The  Spanish  gunners  must 
have  miscalculated  her  distance  and  misjudged  her 
draught,  else  they  would  have  done  more  effective 
work  at  a  range  of  two  thousand  yards. 

During  the  engagement,  when  the  commander  of  the 
Winslow  found  that  he  could  not  approach  close  enough 
to  the  Spanish  gunboats  to  use  his  torpedo-tubes  to 
any  advantage,  he  remained  under  fire.  At  that  time 
he  could  have  got  out  of  harm's  way  by  taking  shelter 
to  the  leeward  of  the  Wilmington. 

Captain  Todd,  from  his  post  of  duty  in  the  conning- 
tower  of  the  Wilmington,  saw  a  Spanish  shell,  aimed  for 
the  torpedo-boat,  do  its  deadly  work.  The  shell  struck 
the  water,  took  an  up-shoot,  and  exploded  on  the  deck 
of  the  Winslow.  There  is  little  room  for  men  any- 
where on  a  torpedo  boat,  and  if  a  shot  strikes  at  all  it 
is  almost  sure  to  hit  a  group.  Such  was  the  case  in 
the  Winslow.  The  exploding  shell  cost  the  lives  of 


THE    TRAGEDY    OF    THE    WINSLOW. 


CARDENAS    AND    SAN    JUAN.  I  19 

Ensign  Bagley  and  four  seamen  ;  it  also  crippled  the 
craft  by  wrecking  her  steam-steering  gear.  Later  her 
captain  and  one  of  his  crew  were  wounded  by  separate 
shots. 

Ensign  Bagley  was  killed  outright,  two  of  the  group 
of  five  died  on  the  deck  of  the  disabled  torpedo-boat, 
and  the  other  two  died  while  being  removed  to  the 
Wilmington. 

The  signal,  "  Many  wounded,"  went  up  from  the  staff 
of  the  Winslow,  and  Passed  Assistant  Surgeon  Cook  of 
the  Wilmington  boarded  the  torpedo-boat. 

The  Hudson  tied  up  to  the  Wins  low  and  towed  her 
out  of  danger,  escaping  unscathed.  The  wounded 
men  were  tenderly  cared  for  on  the  cruiser,  and  that 
night  the  revenue  cutter  steamed  out  of  Cardenas  Bay, 
bearing  the  dead  and  wounded  to  Key  West. 

William  O'Hearn,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  one  of  the 
Winslow's  crew,  thus  tells  his  story  of  the  battle  to  a 
newspaper  correspondent  : 

"  From  the  very  beginning,"  he  said,  "  I  think  every 
man  on  the  boat  believed  that  we  could  not  escape 
being  sunk,  and  that  is  what  would  have  happened 
had  it  not  been  for  the  bravery  of  the  boys  on  the 
Hudson,  who  worked  for  over  an  hour  under  the  most 
terrific  fire  to  get  us  out  of  range." 

"  Were  you  ordered  to  go  in  there  ?  "  he  was  asked. 

"  Yes  ;  just  before  we  were  fired  upon  the  order  was 
given  from  the  Wilmington." 

"  Was  it  a  signal  order  ?  " 


I2O  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

"  No ;  we  were  near  enough  to  the  Wilmington  so 
that  they  shouted  it  to  us  from  the  deck,  through  the 
megaphone." 

"  Do  you  remember  the  words  of  the  commander 
who  gave  them  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  who  shouted  the  order ;  but  the 
words  as  I  remember  them  were,  '  Mr.  Bagley,  go  in 
and  see  what  gunboats  there  are.'  We  started  at  once 
towards  the  Cardenas  dock,  and  the  firing  began  soon 
after. 

"The  first  thing  I  saw,"  continued  O'Hearn,  "was  a 
shot  fired  from  a  window  or  door  in  the  second  story  of 
the  storehouse  just  back  of  the  dock  where  the  Span- 
ish gunboats  were  lying.  A  shell  then  went  hissing 
over  our  heads.  Then  the  firing  began  from  the  gun- 
boat at  the  wharf,  and  from  the  shore.  The  effect  of 
shell  and  heavy  shot  the  first  time  a  man  is  under  fire 
is  something  terrible. 

"  First  you  hear  that  awful  buzzing  or  whizzing,  and 
then  something  seems  to  strike  you  in  the  face  and 
head.  I  noticed  that  at  first  the  boys  threw  their  hands 
to  their  heads  every  time  a  shell  went  over  ;  but  they 
soon  came  so  fast  and  so  close  that  it  was  a  roaring, 
shrieking,  crashing  hell. 

"  I  am  the  water-tender,  and  my  place  is  below,  but 
everybody  went  on  deck  when  the  battle  began.  John 
Varvares,  the  oiler,  John  Denif  and  John  Meek,  the 
firemen,  were  on  watch  with  me,  and  had  they  remained 
below  they  would  not  have  been  killed. 


CARDENAS    AND    SAN    JUAN.  121 

"  After  the  firing  began  I  went  below  again  to  at- 
tend to  the  boiler,  and  a  few  minutes  later  a  solid  shot 
came  crashing  through  the  side  of  the  boat  and  into 
the  boiler,  where  it  exploded  and  destroyed  seventy 
of  the  tubes. 

"At  first  it  stunned  me.  When  the  shell  burst  in 
the  boiler  it  threw  both  the  furnace  doors  open,  and 
the  fuse  from  the  shell  struck  my  feet.  It  was  a  ter- 
rible crash,  and  the  boiler-room  was  filled  with  dust 
and  steam.  For  several  seconds  I  was  partially  stunned, 
and  my  ears  rang  so  I  could  hear  nothing.  I  went  up 
on  the  deck  to  report  to  Captain  feernadou. 

"  I  saw  him  near  the  forecastle  gun,  limping  about 
with  a  towel  wound  around  his  left  leg.  He  was 
shouting,  and  the  noise  of  all  the  guns  was  like  con- 
tinuous thunder.  '  Captain,'  I  cried,  '  the  forward 
boiler  is  disabled.  A  shell  has  gone  through  it.' 

" '  Get  out  the  hose,'  he  said,  and  turned  to  the  gun 
again.  I  made  my  way  to  the  boiler-room,  in  a  few 
minutes  went  up  on  the  deck  again,  and  the  fighting 
had  grown  hotter  than  ever.  Several  of  the  men  were 
missing,  and  I  looked  around. 

"Lying  all  in  a  heap  on  the  after-deck  in  the 
starboard  quarter,  near  the  after  conning-tower,  I  saw 
five  of  our  men  where  they  had  wilted  down  after  the 
shell  struck  them.  In  other  places  were  men  lying 
groaning,  or  dragging  themselves  about,  wounded  and 
covered  with  blood.  There  were  big  red  spots  on  the 
deck,  which  was  strewn  with  fragments  and  splinters. 


122  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

"  I  went  to  where  the  five  men  were  lying,  and  saw 
that  all  were  not  dead.  John  Meek  could  speak  and 
move  one  hand  slightly.  I  put  my  face  down  close  to 
his. 

" '  Can  I  do  anything  for  you,  John  ? '  I  asked,  and 
he  replied,  '  No,  Jack,  I  am  dying ;  good-bye,'  and  he 
asked  me  to  grasp  his  hand.  '  Go  help  the  rest,' 
he  whispered,  gazing  with  fixed  eyes  toward  where 
Captain  Bernadou  was  still  firing  the  forward  gun. 
The  next  minute  he  was  dead. 

"  Ensign  Bagley  was  lying  on  the  deck  nearly  torn 
to  pieces,  and  the  bodies  of  the  other  three  were  on  top 
of  him.  The  coloured  cook  was  a  little  apart  from 
the  others,  mangled,  and  in  a  cramped  position.  We 
supposed  he  was  dead,  and  covered  him  up  the  same 
as  the  others.  Nearly  half  an  hour  after  that  we  heard 
him  calling,  and  saw  that  he  was  making  a  slight 
movement  under  the  clothes.  I  went  up  to  him,  and 
he  said  : 

" '  Oh,  boys,  for  God's  sake  move  me.  I  am  lying 
over  the  boiler  and  burning  up.' 

"The  deck  was  very  hot,  and  his  flesh  had  been 
almost  roasted.  He  complained  that  his  neck  was 
cramped,  but  did  not  seem  to  feel  his  terrible  wound. 
We  moved  him  into  an  easier  position,  and  gave  him 
some  water. 

'"Thank  you,  sir,'  he  said,  and  in  five  seconds  he 
was  dead." 

Ensign   Bagley  had   been    fearfully  wounded    by  a 


CARDENAS  AND  SAN  JUAN.         123 

f 
shot,  which    practically  tore   through    his    body.     He 

sank  over  the  rail,  and  was  grasped  by  one  of  the 
enlisted  men,  named  Reagan,  who  lifted  him  up  and 
placed  him  on  the  deck. 

The  young  officer,  realising  that  the  wound  was 
fatal,  and  that  he  had  only  a  short  time  to  live,  allowed 
no  murmur  of  complaint  or  cry  of  pain  to  escape  him, 
but  opened  his  eyes,  stared  at  the  sailor,  and  simply 
said : 

"  Thank  you,  Reagan." 

These  were  the  last  words  he  spoke. 

May  12.  The  forts  of  San  Juan,  the  capital  of 
Porto  Rico,  were  bombarded  by  a  portion  of  Rear- 
Admiral  Sampson's  fleet  on  Thursday  morning,  May 
1 2th.  The  vessels  taking  part  in  the  action  were  the 
battle-ships  New  York,  Iowa,  Indiana,  the  cruisers 
Detroit  and  Montgomery,  and  the  monitors  Terror  and 
Amphitrite. 

The  engagement  began  at  5.15  and  ended  at  8.15 
A.  M.,  resulting  in  a  loss  to  the  Americans  of  one 
killed  and  seven  wounded,  and  the  death  of  one  from 
prostration  by  heat.  The  Spanish  loss,  as  reported 
by  cable  to  Madrid,  was  five  killed  and  forty-three 
wounded. 

Admiral  Sampson's  orders  were  to  refrain  from 
making  any  land  attack  so  long  as  the  batteries  on 
shore  did  not  attempt  to  molest  his  ships ;  but  in  case 
the  Spaniards  fired  on  his  vessels,  to  destroy  the 
offending  fortifications. 


124  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

These  orders  were  not  issued  until  the  Spanish  fire 
at  different  Cuban  ports  became  so  irritating  to  the 
American  bluejackets  that  discipline  was,  in  a  measure, 
threatened  ;  but  as  soon  as  the  men  learned  that  they 
were  no  longer  to  remain  passive  targets  for  the 
Spaniards,  but  were  to  return  any  shots  against  them, 
all  grumbling  against  inaction  ceased. 

It  was  not  Admiral  Sampson's  original  intention  to 
attack  San  Juan.  He  was  looking  for  bigger  game 
than  the  poorly  defended  Porto  Rican  capital.  His 
orders  from  the  Navy  Department  were  to  find  and 
capture  or  destroy  the  Spanish  squadron  that  was  en 
route  from  the  Cape  Verde  Islands,  and  it  was  this 
business  that  took  him  into  the  neighbourhood  of  San 
Juan,  he  being  desirous  of  learning  if  the  Spanish 
squadron  were  there. 

The  fleet  arrived  off  San  Juan  before  daybreak  on 
Thursday.  The  tug  Wampatuck  was  ordered  to  take 
soundings  in  the  channel,  and  at  once  proceeded  to  do 
so.  She  was  fully  half  a  mile  ahead  of  the  fleet  when 
she  entered  the  channel,  and  those  aboard  of  her  kept 
the  lead  going  at  a  lively  rate. 

It  is  supposed  that  Admiral  Sampson  had  no  inten- 
tion at  that  time  of  entering  the  harbour  itself,  his 
object,  when  he  found  that  the  Spanish  squadron  was 
not  at  San  Juan,  being  to  learn  for  future  use  exactly 
how  much  water  there  was  in  the  channel,  and  if  any 
attempt  had  been  made  to  block  the  way. 

At  all  events,  while  the  Wampatuck  was  engaged  in 


CARDENAS  AND  SAN  JUAN.         125 

this  work  she  was  seen  by  the  sentries  at  the  Morro, 
and  a  few  minutes  later  was  fired  on. 

Then,  and  not  until  then,  did  Admiral  Sampson 
determine  to  teach  the  Spaniards  a  lesson  regarding 
the  danger  of  firing  on  the  American  flag. 

"  Quarters  !  "  rang  out  aboard  the  war-ships  almost 
before  the  report  of  the  Morro  gun  had  died  away,  the 
flag-ship  having  signalled  for  action. 

The  Iowa  opened  the  bombardment  with  her  big 
12-inch  gun,  the  missile  striking  Morro  Castle  squarely, 
and  knocking  a  great  hole  in  the  masonry. 

Then  the  Indiana  sent  a  1 3-inch  projectile  from 
the  forward  turret,  and  one  after  the  other,  with  but 
little  loss  of  time,  the  remaining  vessels  of  the  fleet 
aided  in  the  work  of  destruction. 

The  French  war-ship  Admiral  Rigault  de  Genoailly 
was  at  anchor  in  the  harbour,  and  a  shell  exploded 
within  a  few  hundred  feet  of  where  she  lay,  but  worked 
no  injiiry. 

The  French  officers  thus  reported  the  action  : 

"  The  American  gunners  were  generally  accurate  in 
their  firing,  while  the  marksmanship  of  the  Spaniards 
was  inferior.  Some  of  the  American  shells,  however, 
passed  over  the  fortifications  into  the  city,  where  they 
did  terrible  damage,  crashing  straight  through  rows  of 
buildings  before  exploding,  and  there  killing  many 
citizens. 

"  The  fortifications  were  irreparably  injured.  Re- 
peatedly masses  of  masonry  were  blown  skyward  by 


126  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

the  shells  from  the  American  guns.  Fragments  from 
one  shell  struck  the  commandante's  residence,  which 
was  situated  near  the  fortifications,  damaging  it 
terrifically." 

Morro  Castle  was  speedily  silenced,  and  then  the 
guns  of  the  fleet  were  turned  on  the  land-batteries 
and  the  fortifications  near  the  government  buildings. 

The  inhabitants  fled  in  terror  from  the  city ;  the 
volunteers,  panic-stricken,  ran  frantically  in  every 
direction,  discharging  their  weapons  at  random,  until 
they  were  a  menace  to  all  within  possible  range.  The 
crashing  of  the  falling  buildings,  the  roar  of  the  heavy 
guns,  the  shrieks  of  the  terrified  and  groans  of  the 
wounded,  formed  a  horrible  accompaniment  to  the  work 
of  destruction. 

Three  times  the  line  of  American  ships  passed  from 
the  entrance  of  the  harbour  to  the  extreme  eastward 
battery,  sending  shot  and  shell  into  the  crumbling 
forts.  Clouds  of  dust  showed  where  the  missiles 
struck,  but  the  smoke  hung  over  everything.  The 
shells  screeching  overhead  and  dropping  around  were 
the  only  signs  that  the  Spaniards  still  stuck  to  their 
guns. 

At  7.45  A.  M.  Admiral  Sampson  signalled,  "  Cease 
firing." 

"  Retire  "  was  sounded  on  the  Iowa,  and  she  headed 
from  the  shore. 

The  Terror  was  the  last  ship  in  the  line,  and,  failing 
to  see  the  signal,  banged  away  alone  for  about  half  an 


CARDENAS  AND  SAN  JUAN.         127 

hour,  the  concert  of  shore  guns  roaring  at  her  and  the 
water  flying  high  around  her  from  the  exploding  shells. 
But  she  possessed  a  charmed  life,  and  reluctantly 
retired  at  8.15. 

May  fj.  In  the  Spanish  Cortes,  Seftor  Molinas, 
deputy  for  Porto  Rico,  protested  against  the  bombard- 
ment of  San  Juan  without  notice,  as  an  infringement  of 
international  usage. 

To  this  General  Correa,  Minister  of  War,  replied  that 
the  conduct  of  the  Americans  was  "  vandalism,"  and 
that  the  government  "  will  bring  their  outrageous 
action  under  the  notice  of  the  powers."  He  echoed 
Sefior  Molinas's  eulogy  of  the  bravery  of  the  Spanish 
troops  and  marines,  and  promised  that  the  government 
would  send  its  thanks. 

An  authority  on  international  law  thus  comments 
upon  the  bombardment,  in  the  columns  of  the  New 
York  Sun  : 

"  There  is  nothing  in  the  laws  of  war  which  requires 
notice  of  bombardment  to  be  given  to  a  fortified  place, 
during  the  progress  of  war.  When  the  Germans 
threatened  to  bombard  Port  au  Prince,  a  few  months 
ago,  they  gave  a  notice  of  a  few  hours,  but  in  that  case 
no  state  of  war  existed.  Again,  when  Spain  bombarded 
Valparaiso,  in  1865,  an  hour's  interval  was  allowed  be- 
tween the  blank  charge  that  gave  the  notice,  and 
the  actual  bombardment.  But  that  interval  was 
intended  to  allow  Chili  an  opportunity  to  do  the 
specific  thing  demanded,  namely,  to  salute  the  Spanish 


128  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

flag,  in  atonement  for  a  grievance.  Besides,  Valparaiso 
was  wholly  unfortified,  and  the  guns  were  directed, 
not  at  military  works,  but  at  public  buildings. 

"  The  case  of  San  Juan  was  far  different.  Hostilities 
had  been  going  on  in  Gulf  waters  for  weeks,  while,  as 
Doctor  Snow,  the  well-known  authority  on  international 
law,  says,  '  In  case  of  war,  the  very  fact  of  a  place  being 
fortified  is  evidence  that  at  any  time  it  is  liable  to  at- 
tack, and  the  non-combatants  residing  within  its  limits 
must  be  prepared  for  a  contingency  of  this  kind.'  This 
is  true,  also,  of  the  investment  of  fortified  places  by 
armies,  where  '  if  the  assault  is  made,  no  notice  is  given, 
as  surprise  is  essential  to  success.'  In  the  same  spirit 
Halleck  says  that  '  every  besieged  place  is  for  a  time  a 
military  garrison  ;  its  inhabitants  are  converted  into 
soldiers  by  the  necessities  of  self-defence.' 

"  Turning  to  the  official  report  of  Admiral  Sampson, 
we  find  him  saying  that,  as  soon  as  it  was  light  enough, 
he  began  '  an  attack  upon  the  batteries  defending  the 
city.  This  attack  lasted  about  three  hours,  and  resulted 
in  much  damage  to  the  batteries,  and  incidentally  to  a 
portion  of  the  city  adjacent  to  the  batteries.'  It  is, 
therefore,  clear  that  this  latter  damage  was  simply  the 
result  of  the  proximity  of  the  defensive  works  to  some 
of  the  dwellings.  The  same  thing  would  occur  in  bom- 
barding Havana.  Can  any  one  imagine  that  the  Span- 
iards, if  they  suddenly  appeared  in  New  York  Bay, 
would  be  obliged  to  give  notice  before  opening  fire  on 
Fort  Hamilton  and  Fort  Wadsworth,  for  the  reason  that 


CARDENAS    AND    SAN    JUAN.  1 29 

adjacent  settlements  would  suffer  from  the  fire  ?  The 
advantage  of  suddenness  in  the  attack  upon  a  place,  not 
only  fortified,  but  forewarned  by  current  events,  cannot 
be  renounced.  Civilians  dwelling  near  defensive  works 
know  what  they  risk  in  war. 

"  In  the  Franco-German  war  of  1 870  there  were 
repeated  instances,  according  to  the  authority  already 
quoted,  of  deliberately  firing  on  inhabited  towns  instead 
of  on  their  fortifications,  and  'there  were  cases,  like 
that  of  Peronne,  where  the  town  was  partially  destroyed 
while  the  ramparts  were  nearly  intact.'  The  ground 
taken  was  that  which  a  military  writer,  General  Le 
Blois,  had  advocated  five  years  before,  namely,  that  the 
pressure  for  surrender  exercised  by  the  people  becomes 
greater  on  subjecting  them  to  the  loss  of  life  and  prop- 
erty. 'The  governor  is  made  responsible  for  all  the 
disasters  that  occur  ;  the  people  rise  against  him,  and 
his  own  troops  seek  to  compel  him  to  an  immediate 
capitulation.'  At  San  Juan  there  was  no  attempt  of 
this  sort,  the  fire  being  concentrated  upon  the  batteries, 
with  the  single  view  of  destroying  them.  The  likelihood 
that  adjacent  buildings  and  streets  would  suffer  did  not 
require  previous  notice  of  the  bombardment,  and,  in 
fact,  when  the  Germans  opened  fire  on  Paris  without 
notification,  and  a  protest  was  made  on  behalf  of  neu- 
trals, Bismarck  simply  replied  that  no  such  notification 
was  required  by  the  laws  of  war." 


CHAPTER  VII. 

FROM    ALL    QUARTERS. 

71  /JA  Y  ii.  A  state  of  siege  proclaimed  throughout 
•*  *-*•  Spain.  In  a  dozen  cities  or  more  continued  riot- 
ing and  sacking  of  warehouses.  The  seacoast  between 
Cadiz  and  Malaga  no  longer  lighted.  The  second  divi- 
sion of  the  Spanish  navy,  consisting  of  the  battle-ship 
Pelayo,  the  armoured  cruiser  Carlos  V.,  the  protected 
cruiser  Alphonso  XIII.,  the  converted  cruisers  Rapido 
and  Patria,  and  several  torpedo-boats,  remain  in  Cadiz 
Harbour. 

May  12.  The  story  of  an  attempt  to  land  American 
troops  in  Cuba  is  thus  told  by  one  of  the  officers  of 
the  steamer  Gussie,  which  vessel  left  Tampa  on  the 
tenth. 

"  In  an  effort  to  land  Companies  E  and  G  of  the  first 
U.  S.  Infantry  on  the  shore  of  Pinar  del  Rio  this  after- 
noon, with  five  hundred  rifles,  sixty  thousand  rounds 
of  ammunition,  and  some  food  supplies  for  the  insur- 
gents, the  first  land  fight  of  the  war  took  place.  Each 
side  may  claim  a  victory,  for  if  the  Spaniards  frustrated 
the  effort  to  connect  with  the  insurgents,  the  Ameri- 
cans got  decidedly,  the  better  of  the  battle,  killing 


FROM    ALL    QUARTERS. 

twelve  or  more  of  the  enemy,  and  on  their  own  part 
suffering  not  a  wound. 

"  After  dark  last  evening  the  old-fashioned  side- 
wheel  steamer  Gussie  of  the  Morgan  line,  with  troops 
and  cargo  mentioned,  was  near  the  Cuban  coast.  At 
sunrise  she  fell  in  with  the  gunboat  Vicksburg  on  the 
blockade  off  Havana.  Other  blockading  vessels  came 
up  also.  The  converted  revenue  cutter  Manning,  Cap- 
tain Munger,  was  detailed  to  convoy  the  Gussie,  and, 
three  abreast,  the  steamers  moved  along  the  coast. 

"The  Cuban  guides  on  the  Gussie  took  their  ma- 
chetes to  a  grindstone  on  the  hurricane-deck.  Our 
soldiers  gathered  around  to  see  them  sharpen  their  long 
knives,  but  only  one  could  be  induced  to  test  the  edge 
of  these  barbarous  instruments  with  his  thumb. 

"  By  the  ruined  walls  of  an  old  stone  house  Spanish 
troops  were  gathered.  Several  shots  were  fired  by  the 
gunboat  Manning,  and  presently  no  troops  were  visible. 
It  had  been  decided  to  land  near  here,  but  the  depth  of 
water  was  not  favourable. 

"Just  west  of  Port  Cabanas  Harbour  the  Gussie 
anchored,  the  Manning  covering  the  landing-place  with 
her  guns,  and  the  torpedo-boat  Wasp  came  up  eager 
to  assist.  The  first  American  soldier  to  step  on  the 
Cuban  shore  from  this  expedition  was  Lieutenant  Crof- 
ton,  Captain  O'Connor  with  the  first  boatload  having 
gone  a  longer  route.  A  reef  near  the  beach  threw 
the  men  out,  and  they  stumbled  through  the  water  up 
to  their  breasts.  When  they  reached  dry  land  they 


132  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

immediately  went  into  the  bush  to  form  a  picket-line. 
Two  horses  had  been  forced  to  swim  ashore,  when 
suddenly  a  rifle-shot,  followed  by  continuous  sharp 
firing,  warned  the  men  that  the  enemy  had  been  in 
waiting. 

"  The  captain  of  the  transport  signalled  the  war-ships, 
and  the  Manning  fired  into  the  woods  beyond  our 
picket-line.  Shrapnel  hissed  through  the  air  like  hot 
iron  plunged  in  water.  The  Wasp  opened  with  her 
small  guns.  The  cannonade  began  at  3.15  -and  lasted 
a  quarter  of  an  hour ;  then  our  pickets  appeared,  the 
ships  circled  around,  and,  being  told  by  Captain  O'Con- 
nor, who  had  come  from  shore  with  the  clothing  torn 
from  one  leg,  where  the  Spaniards  were,  a  hundred 
shots  more  were  fired  in  that  direction. 

"  '  Anybody  hurt,  captain  ? '  some  one  asked. 

"  '  None  of  our  men,  but  we  shot  twelve  Spaniards,' 
he  shouted  back. 

"  The  soldiers  on  board  the  Gussie  heard  the  news 
without  a  word,  but  learning  where  the  enemy  were 
situated,  gathered  aft  on  the  upper  deck,  and  sent  vol- 
leys toward  the  spot. 

"  The  pickets  returned  to  the  bush.  Several  crept 
along  the  beach,  but  the  Spaniards  had  drawn  back. 
It  was  decided  that  the  soldiers  should  reembark  on 
the  Gussie,  and  that  the  guides  take  the  horses,  seek 
the  insurgents,  and  make  a  new  appointment.  They 
rode  off  to  the  westward,  and  disappeared  around  a 
point. 


FROM    ALL    QUARTERS.  133 

" '  Say,'  shouted  a  man  from  Company  G  after  them, 
'you  forgot  your  grindstone.'  ' 

May  12.  On  Thursday  morning,  May  I2th,  the 
the  gunboat  Wilmington  stood  in  close  to  the  coast,  off 
the  town  of  Cardenas,  with  her  crew  at  quarters. 

She  had  come  for  a  specific  purpose,  which  was  to 
avenge  the  Winslow,  and  not  until  she  was  within 
range  of  the  gunboats  that  had  decoyed  the  Winslow 
did  she  slacken  speed.  Then  the  masked  battery,  which 
had  opened  on  the  American  boat  with  such  deadly 
effect,  was  covered  by  the  Wilmington  s  guns. 

There  were  no  preliminaries.  The  war-vessel  was 
there  to  teach  the  Spaniards  of  Cardenas  a  lesson,  and 
set  about  the  task  without  delay. 

The  town  is  three  miles  distant  from  the  gulf 
entrance  to  the  harbour,  therefore  no  time  need  be 
wasted  in  warning  non-combatants,  for  they  were  in 
little  or  no  danger. 

During  two  weeks  troops  had  been  gathering  near 
about  Cardenas  to  protect  it  against  American  inva- 
sion ;  masked  batteries  were  being  planted,  earthworks 
thrown  up,  and  blockhouses  erected.  There  was  no 
lack  of  targets. 

Carefully,  precisely,  as  if  at  practice,  the  Wilming- 
ton opened  fire  from  her  4-inch  guns,  throwing  shells 
here,  there,  everywhere  ;  but  more  particularly  in  the 
direction  of  that  masked  battery  which  had  trained  its 
guns  on  the  Winslow,  and  as  the  Spaniards,  panic- 
stricken,  hearing  a  death-knell  in  the  sighing,  whistling 


134  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

missiles,  fled  in  mad  terror,  the  gunboats'  machine  guns 
were  called  into  play. 

It  is  safe  to  assert  that  the  one  especial  object  of  the 
American  sailors'  vengeance  was  completely  destroyed. 
Not  a  gun  remained  mounted,  not  a  man  was  alive, 
save  those  whose  wounds  were  mortal.  The  punish- 
ment was  terrible,  but  complete. 

Until  this  moment  the  Spaniards  at  Cardenas  had 
believed  they  might  with  impunity  open  fire  on  any 
craft  flying  the  American  flag ;  but  now  they  began  to 
understand  that  such  sport  was  in  the  highest  degree 
dangerous. 

During  a  full  hour  —  and  in  that  time  nearly  three 
hundred  shells  had  been  sent  on  errands  of  destruction 
—  the  Wilmington  continued  her  bombardment  of  the 
defences. 

When  the  work  was  completed  two  gunboats  had 
been  sunk  so  quickly  that  their  crews  had  no  more  than 
sufficient  time  to  escape.  Two  schooners  were  con- 
verted into  wrecks  at  their  moorings.  One  blockhouse 
was  consumed  by  flames,  and  signal-stations,  masked 
batteries,  and  forts  were  in  ruins. 

While  this  lesson  was  in  progress  the  Spaniards  did 
their  best  to  bring  it  to  a  close ;  but  despite  all  efforts 
the  Wilmington  was  unharmed.  There  was  absolutely 
no  evidence  of  conflict  about  her  when  she  finally 
steamed  away,  save  such  as  might  have  been  read 
on  the  smoke-begrimed  faces  of  the  hard-worked  but 
triumphant  and  satisfied  crew. 


ADMIRAL    SCHLEY. 


FROM    ALL   QUARTERS.  135 

May  ij.  An  English  correspondent,  cabling  from 
Hongkong  regarding  the  Spaniards  in  the  Philippine 
Islands,  made  the  following  statement : 

"They  are  in  a  position  to  give  the  Americans 
a  deal  of  trouble.  There  are  twenty-five  thousand 
Spanish  soldiers  in  the  garrison  at  Manila,  and  one 
hundred  thousand  volunteers  enrolled.  Scores  of  coast- 
ing steamers  are  imprisoned  on  the  river  Pasig,  which 
is  blocked  at  the  mouth  by  some  sunken  schooners. 

"  Mr.  Wildman,  the  American  consul  here,  tells  me 
that,  according  to  his  despatches,  a  flag  of  truce  is  fly- 
ing over  Manila,  and  the  people  are  allowed  to  proceed 
freely  to  and  from  the  ships  in  the  harbour. 

"  The  Americans  are  on  duty  night  and  day  on  the 
lookout  for  boats  which  endeavour  to  run  the  blockade 
with  food  supplies.  The  hospital  is  supported  by  the 
Americans.  The  Spaniards  are  boasting  that  their  big 
battle-ship  Pelayo  is  coming,  and  will  demolish  the 
Americans  in  ten  minutes." 

On  the  afternoon  of  May  I3th  the  flying  squadron, 
Commodore  W.  S.  Schley  commanding,  set  sail  from 
Old  Point  Comfort,  heading  southeast.  The  following 
vessels  comprised  the  fleet.  The  cruiser  Brooklyn,  the 
flag-ship,  the  battle-ships  Massachusetts  and  Texas,  and 
the  torpedo-boat  destroyer  Scorpion.  The  Sterling, 
with  4,000  tons  of  coal,  was  the  collier  of  the  squadron. 
At  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  the  Minneapolis  fol- 
lowed, and  Captain  Sigsbee  of  the  St.  Paul  received 
orders  to  get  under  way  at  midnight. 


136  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

May  14..  Eleven  steamers,  chartered  by  the  govern- 
ment as  troop-ships,  sailed  from  New  York  for  Key 
West.  At  San  Francisco,  the  cruiser  C/iarleston,  with 
supplies  and  reinforcements  for  Admiral  Dewey's  fleet 
at  Manila,  had  been  made  ready  for  sea. 

At  Havana  General  Blanco  had  shown  great  energy 
in  preparing  for  the  expected  siege  by  American  forces. 
The  city  and  forts  were  reported  as  being  provisioned 
sufficiently  for  three  or  four  months,  and  Havana  was 
surrounded  by  entrenchments  for  a  distance  of  thirty 
miles.  The  troops  in  the  garrison  numbered  seventy 
thousand,  and  a  like  number  were  in  the  interior  fighting 
the  insurgents. 

The  condition  of  the  reconcentrados  in  Havana  had 
grown  steadily  worse.  The  mortality  increased  among 
this  wretched  class,  who  had  taken  to  begging  morsels 
of  food. 

Nobody  in  Havana  except  a  few  higher  officers  knew 
that  the  Spanish  fleet  was  annihilated  at  Manila,  and  the 
story  was  believed  that  the  Americans  were  beaten  there. 

At  Madrid  in  the  Chamber  of  Deputies  Senor  Bores 
asked  the  government  to  inform  the  house  of  the  con- 
dition of  the  Philippines.  After  the  pacification  of  the 
islands,  he  said,  outbreaks  had  occurred  at  Pansy  and 
Cebu  and  even  in  Manila.  Was  this  a  new  rebellion, 
he  asked,  or  a  continuation  of  the  old  one  ?  If  it  was 
a  continuation  of  the  old  rebellion,  then  General  Prima 
de  Rivera's  pacification  of  the  islands  had  been  a  perfect 
fraud. 


FROM    ALL    QUARTERS.  137 

General  Correa,  Minister  of  War,  replied  that  the 
old  insurrection  was  absolutely  over.  The  present  one, 
he  said,  arose  from  the  incitements  of  the  Americans. 

Seftor  Bores  retorted  that  he  had  received  a  private 
letter  from  the  Philippines,  dated  April  loth,  prior  to 
the  arising  of  any  fear  of  war  with  the  United  States, 
giving  pessimistic  accounts  of  the  risings  there,  and 
passengers  arriving  by  the  steamer  Leon  III.  had  told 
similar  stories.  Now,  he  declared,  the  Spanish  troops 
in  the  Philippines  were  in  a  terrible  condition,  being 
between  two  fires,  the  natives  and  the  Americans. 
Seftor  Bores's  remarks  created  a  profound  sensation. 

The  cruiser  Ctiarleston  was  reported  as  being  ready 
to  sail  from  San  Francisco  for  Manila.  Three  hundred 
sailors  and  marines  to  reinforce  Admiral  Dewey's  fleet 
were  to  be  sent  on  the  cruiser. 

The  U.  S.  S.  Oregon,  Marietta,  and  Nictheroy  arrived 
at  Bahia,  Brazil. 

The  Spanish  torpedo-boat  Terror,  of  the  Cape  Verde 
fleet,  reported  as  yet  remaining  at  Port  de  France, 
Martinique. 

A  press  correspondent  gives  the  following  spirited 
account,  under  the  date  of  May  I4th,  of  a  second 
attempt  to  entice  the  American  blockading  squadron 
within  range  of  the  Santa  Clara  battery  guns  : 

"Captain-General  Blanco,  two  hours  before  sunset 
to-night,  attempted  to  execute  a  ruse,  which,  if  success- 
ful, would  have  cleared  the  front  of  Havana  of  six  ships 
on  that  blockading  station. 


138  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

"Unable  to  come  out  to  do  battle,  he  adopted  the 
tactics  of  the  spider,  and  cunningly  planned  to  draw 
the  prey  into  his  net,  but,  though  a  clever  and  pretty 
scheme  as  an  original  proposition,  it  was  practically  a 
repetition  of  the  trick  by  which  the  gunboat  Vicksburg 
and  the  little  converted  revenue  cutter  Morrill  were 
last  week  decoyed  by  a  fishing-smack  under  the  big 
Krupp  guns  of  Santa  Clara  batteries. 

"  Thanks  to  bad  gunnery,  both  ships  on  that  occasion 
managed  to  get  out  of  range  without  being  sunk,  though 
some  of  the  shells  burst  close  aboard,  and  the  Vicks- 
burg 's  Jacob' s-ladder  was  cut  adrift. 

"  Late  this  afternoon  the  ships  on  the  Havana  sta- 
tion were  dumfounded  to  see  two  vessels  steam  out 
of  Havana  Harbour  and  head  east.  Dense  smoke  was 
streaming  like  black  ribbons  from  their  stacks,  and  a 
glance  showed  that  they  were  under  full  head  of  steam. 

"  By  aid  of  glasses  Commander  Lilly  of  the  May- 
flower, which  was  flying  the  pennant,  made  out  the 
larger  vessel  of  the  two,  which  was  two  hundred  feet 
long  and  about  forty-five  hundred  tons  displacement, 
to  be  the  cruiser  Alphonso  XII.,  and  the  small  one  to 
be  the  gunboat  Legazpi,  both  of  which  were  known 
to  be  bottled  up  in  Havana  Harbour. 

"  At  first  he  supposed  that  they  were  taking  advan- 
tage of  the  absence  of  the  heavy  fighting-ships,  and 
were  making  a  bona-fide  run  for  the  open  sea. 

"As  superior  officer,  he  immediately  signalled  the 
other  war-ships  on  the  station,  the  Vicksburg,  Annapolis, 


FROM    ALL    QUARTERS.  139 

• 

Wasp,  Tecumseh,  and  Osceola.  The  little  squadron  gave 
chase  to  the  flying  Spaniards,  keeping  up  a  running 
fire  as  they  advanced.  The  Alphonso  and  her  consort 
circled  inshore  about  five  miles  below  Havana,  and 
headed -back  for  Morro  Castle. 

"  Our  gunboats  and  the  vessels  of  the  mosquito  fleet 
did  not  follow  them  in.  Commander  Lilly  saw  that 
the  wily  Spanish  ruse  was  to  draw  them  in  under  the 
guns  of  the  heavy  batteries,  where  Spanish  artillery 
officers  could  plot  out  the  exact  range  with  their  tele- 
meters. So  the  return  was  made  in  line  ahead,  parallel 
with  the  shore. 

"  Commander  Lilly  had  not  been  mistaken.  As  his 
ships  came  abreast  of  Santa  Clara  battery  the  big  guns 
opened,  and  fired  thirteen  shells  at  a  distance  of  about 
five  miles.  The  range  was  badly  judged,  as  more  than 
half  the  missiles  overshot  the  mark,  and  others  fell 
short,  some  as  much  as  a  mile. 

"The  big  Alphonso  and  her  convoy  steamed  swiftly 
from  the  dark  shadow  of  the  harbour's  mouth,  and,  turn- 
ing sharply  east,  ran  along  the  coast  as  though  to  slip 
through  the  cordon  of  blockade. 

"  It  was  a  bold  trick  and  not  at  first  transparent, 
although  the  folly  of  it  created  a  suspicion. 

"  The  Spanish  boats  crowded  on  steam  and  stood 
along  the  coast  as  long  as  they  dared,  to  give  zest  to 
the  chase.  The  Mayflower  signalled  her  consorts, 
'  Close  in  and  charge.' 

"  Seeing   that   the   bait   had   apparently  taken,  the 


I4O  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

Spaniards  veered  about,  and,  bringing  their  stern- 
chasers  to  bear  on  the  Americans,  doubled  back  for 
Morro. 

"  Two  of  the  shells  from  the  Vicksburg  burst  in  the 
rigging  of  the  Alphonso,  and  some  of  it  came  down, 
but  it  was,  of  course,  impossible  to  know  whether  any 
fatalities  occurred.  The  American  fire  was  much  more 
accurate  than  the  Spanish,  as  every  shell  of  the  latter 
fell  short  of  their  pursuers. 

"  The  Spaniards  were  a  mile  off  Morro,  and  our  ships 
fully  four  miles  out,  when  flame  leaped  from  the  bat- 
teries of  the  Santa  Clara  forts,  and  clouds  of  white 
smoke  drifted  up  the  coast.  Half  a  minute  later  a  dull, 
heavy  roar  of  a  great  gun  came  like  a  deep  diapason 
of  an  organ  on  high  treble  of  smaller  guns.  It  was 
from  one  of  the  1 2-inch  Krupp  guns  mounted  there, 
and  an  8 5 -pound  projectile  plunged  into  the  water  half 
a  mile  inside  of  the  American  line,  throwing  up  a  tower 
of  white  spray.  It  ricochetted  and  struck  again  half 
a  mile  outside. 

"  The  mask  was  now  off.  Maddened  by  the  failure 
of  their  plot,  the  Spaniards  continued  to  fire  at  inter- 
vals of  about  ten  minutes.  In  all,  thirteen  shots  were 
fired,  but  not  one  struck  within  two  hundred  yards  of 
our  ships. 

"As  soon  as  the  battery  opened,  Commander  Lilly 
signalled,  and  his  fleet  stood  offshore.  Captain  McKen- 
sie,  on  the  bridge  of  the  Vicksburg,  watched  the  fall 
of  the  shells,  but  he  considered  it  useless  to  waste 


FROM    ALL   QUARTERS.  14! 

ammunition  at  that  distance.  He  appeased  the  desire 
of  the  men  at  the  guns,  however,  by  letting  go  a 
final  broadside  at  the  Spanish  ships,  in  the  chance 
hope  of  making  them  pay  for  their  daring  before  they 
gained  the  harbour,  but  they  steamed  under  Morro's 
guns  untouched,  and,  as  they  disappeared,  discharged 
several  guns. 

"  Half  a  dozen  shots  were  sent  after  them  at  that 
moment  by  the  Annapolis,  which  dropped  inside  the 
harbour,  probably  creating  consternation  among  scores 
of  boats  on  the  water-front." 

May  1 5.  The  Spanish  cruisers  Maria  Teresa,  Viz- 
caya,  Almirante  Oguendo,  and  Cristobal  Colon,  and 
torpedo-boat  destroyers,  which  arrived  off  the  port  of 
Curacoa,  sailed  at  sunset  on  the  I5th,  after  having 
purchased  coal  and  provisions. 

The  flying  squadron  under  command  of  Commodore 
Schley  arrived  off  Charleston,  S.  C. 

Admiral  Sampson's  squadron  passed  Cape  Haytien. 

All  the  members  of  the  Spanish  Cabinet  have 
resigned. 

A  report  from  Ponce,  Porto  Rico,  under  date  of  May 
1 5th,  describes  the  inhabitants  of  the  island  as  living 
in  constant  fear  of  a  renewal  of  the  bombardment  of 
San  Juan  by  Admiral's  Sampson's  fleet.  There  are  no 
submarine  mines  in  the  harbour  of  Ponce,  and  the  gen- 
erally unprotected  condition  of  the  place  is  a  cause  of 
much  anxiety. 

May  16.     Freeman    Halstead,    an    American    news- 


142  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

paper  correspondent,  arrested  at  San  Juan  de  Porto 
Rico,  while  in  the  act  of  making  photographs  of  the 
fortifications.  He  was  sentenced  by  a  military  tribunal 
to  nine  years'  imprisonment. 

In  a  general  order  issued  at  the  War  Department, 
the  assignments  to  the  different  corps  and  other  impor- 
tant commands  were  announced.  The  order  is  as 
follows  : 

"  The  following  assignments  of  general  officers  to 
command  is  hereby  made  by  the  President : 

"Maj.-Gen.  Wesley  Merritt,  U.  S.  A.,  the  Depart- 
ment of  the  Pacific. 

"  Maj.-Gen.  John  R.  Brooke,  U.  S.  A.,  the  first  corps 
and  the  Department  of  the  Gulf. 

"Maj.-Gen.  W.  M.  Graham,  U.  S.  Volunteers,  the 
second  corps,  with  headquarters  at  Falls  Church,  Va. 

"Maj.-Gen.  James  M.  Wade,  U.  S.  Volunteers,  the 
third  corps,  reporting  to  Major-General  Brooke, 
Chickamauga. 

"Maj.-Gen.  John  J.  Coppinger,  U.  S.  Volunteers,  the 
fourth  corps,  Mobile,  Ala. 

"Maj.-Gen.  William  R.  Shafter,  U.  S.  Volunteers, 
the  fifth  corps,  Tampa,  Fla. 

"Maj.-Gen.  Elwell  S.  Otis,  U.  S.  Volunteers,  to 
report  to  Major-General  Merritt,  U.  S.  A.,  for  duty 
with  troops  in  the  Department  of  the  Pacific. 

"  Maj.-Gen.  James  H.  Wilson,  U.  S.  Volunteers,  the 
sixth  corps,  Chickamauga,  reporting  to  Major-General 
Brooke. 


FROM    ALL    QUARTERS.  143 

"  Maj.-Gen.  Fitzhugh  Lee,  U.  S.  Volunteers,  the 
seventh  corps,  Tampa,  Fla. 

"  Maj.-Gen.  Joseph  H.  Wheeler,  U.  S.  Volunteers, 
the  cavalry  division,  Tampa,  Fla." 

Orders  were  given  by  Admiral  Sampson  to  Captain 
Goodrich  of  the  St.  Louis,  on  May  I5th,  to  take  the 
fleet  tender  in  tow  and  proceed  to  Santiago  de  Cuba  to 
cut  the  cables  at  that  point.  The  grappling  imple- 
ments were  secured  from  the  tug  Wampatuck  on  May 
1 6th,  and  at  eleven  p.  M.  the  expedition,  in  the  small 
boats,  left  the  cruiser  for  the  entrance  of  Santiago.  It 
was  then  perfectly  dark  and  hazy,  but  the  Santiago 
light  was  burning  brightly.  Moonrise  was  not  until 
3.45  A.  M.  At  three  A.  M.  on  May  I7th  the  expedition 
returned  with  part  of  one  cable,  but  it  had  failed  to 
find  a  second  cable,  which  is  close  under  the  fort,  and 
was  protected  by  two  patrol-boats.  Then  a  start  was 
made  to  cut  the  cable  on  the  other  side  of  the  island. 
At  seven  A.  M.  the  St.  Louis  fired  her  first  gun  at  the 
forts  protecting  the  entrance  to  Santiago  Harbour,  and 
after  a  little  time  the  fire  was  returned  by  what  must 
have  been  a  2-pounder. 

At  eight  A.  M.  the  St.  Louis  was  about  two  miles 
distant  from  the  fort,  which  seemed  to  be  unprovided 
with  modern  guns.  After  three  hours  grappling  in 
over  five  hundred  fathoms,  the  cable  had  not  been 
found.  At  12.15  p-  M-  tne  guns  °f  Morro  Castle 
opened  fire,  followed  by  the  shore  battery  on  the 
southerly  point,  and  also  the  west  battery.  The  St. 


144  THE  BOYS  OF  '98- 

Louis  kept  up  a  constant  fire  from  her  bow  guns,  and 
soon  succeeded  in  silencing  the  guns  of  Morro  Castle, 
the  Spaniards  running  in  all  directions. 

Most  of  the  shots  from  the  fort  fell  short  of  the  ship. 
Shells  from  the  mortar  battery  went  over  the  cruiser 
and  exploded  in  the  water  quite  close  to  the  St.  Louis. 
The  mortar  battery  ceased  at  12.56  P.  M.,  after  a  fusi- 
lade  of  forty-one  minutes.  After  firing  the  cable  was 
grappled,  hauled  on  board,  and  cut. 

May  77.  The  Spanish  squadron  reported  as  yet 
remaining  at  Cadiz. 

The  U.  S.  S.  Wilmington  had  a  slight  action  with  a 
Spanish  gunboat  off  the  Cuban  coast,  during  which  the 
latter  was  disabled. 

May  18.  The  U.  S.  cruiser  Charleston  left  San 
Francisco  for  the  Philippines  with  supplies  for  Commo- 
dore Dewey's  fleet. 

May  19.  By  cable  from  Madrid  it  was  learned  that 
the  Spanish  fleet  had  arrived  at  Santiago  de  Cuba. 

The  cruiser  Charleston,  which  sailed  for  Manila, 
returned  to  Mare  Island  navy  yard  with  her  con- 
densers out  of  order. 

May  21.  An  order  was  despatched  to  San  Francisco 
to  prepare  the  Monterey  for  a  voyage  to  Manila, 
where  she  would  join  Commodore  Dewey's  fleet.  The 
Monterey  is  probably  the  most  formidable  monitor 
in  the  world ;  technically  described  she  is  a  barbed 
turret,  low  freeboard  monitor  of  four  thousand  tons 
displacement,  256  feet  long,  fifty-nine  feet  beam,  and 


FROM    ALL    QUARTERS.  145 

fourteen  feet  six  inches  draught.  She  carries  in  two 
turrets,  surrounded  by  barbettes,  two  1 2-inch  and 
two  lo-inch  guns,  while  on  her  superstructure,  be- 
tween the  turrets,  are  mounted  six  6-pounders,  four 
i -pounders,  and  two  Catlings.  The  turrets  are  seven 
and  one-half  and  eight  inches  thick,  and  the  sur- 
rounding barbettes  are  fourteen  inches  and  eleven 
and  one-half  inches  of  steel. 

One  of  the  most  important  prizes  captured  during 
the  war  was  taken  by  the  U.  S.  S.  Minneapolis  off  the 
eastern  coast  of  Cuba.  The  craft  was  the  Spanish 
brig  Santa  Maria  de  Lourdes,  loaded  with  coal,  ammu- 
nition, arms,  and  supplies  for  Admiral  Cervera. 

Nearly  four  hundred  men,  with  a  pack-train  and  a 
large  quantity  of  arms  and  ammunition,  sailed  for  a 
point  about  twenty-five  miles  east  of  Havana,  on  the 
steamer  Florida.  These  men  and  their  equipment 
constituted  an  expedition  able  to  operate  independ- 
ently, and  to  defend  itself  against  any  body  of 
Spanish  troops  which  might  oppose  it. 

The  Florida  returned  to  Key  West  on  the  thirty-first, 
after  having  successfully  landed  the  ammunition  and 
men. 

May  22.  The  U.  S.  S.  Charleston  again  left  San 
Francisco,  bound  for  Manila. 

May  25.  The  U.  S.  S.  St.  Paul  captured  the 
British  steamer  Restormel,  loaded  with  coal,  off  Santi- 
ago de  Cuba.  The  prize  is  a  long,  low  tramp  collier 
belonging  to  the  Troy  company  of  Cardiff,  Wales.  She 


146  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

left  there  on  April  22d,  the  day  before  war  was  de- 
clared, with  twenty-eight  hundred  tons  of  the  finest 
grade  of  Cardiff  coal  consigned  to  a  Spanish  firm  in 
San  Juan  de  Porto  Rico,  where  the  Spanish  fleet  was 
supposed  to  make  its  first  stop. 

"When  we  reached  San  Juan,"  said  the  captain  of 
the  Restormel,  "the  consignees  told  me  very  curtly 
that  the  persons  for  whom  the  coal  was  destined  were 
in  Curacoa.  At  Porto  Rico  I  learned  that  war  had 
been  declared.  I  began  to  suspect  that  the  coal  was 
going  to  Cervera's  fleet,  but  my  Spanish  consignees 
said  it  would  be  all  right.  They  told  me  not  to  ask  any 
questions,  but  to  go  to  Curacoa  as  soon  as  possible.  I 
did  so,  placing  my  cargo  under  orders. 

"The  consignee  at  Curacoa  was  a  Spanish  officer. 
He  said  there  had  been  another  change  of  base,  and 
that  the  coal  was  wanted  at  Santiago  de  Cuba.  I  tried 
to  cable  my  owners  for  instructions,  but  found  that  the 
cables  had  been  cut.  Under  the  circumstances  there 
was  nothing  for  me  to  do  but  to  go  to  Santiago.  By 
this  time  I  was  pretty  well  convinced  that  the  cargo 
was  for  Cervera.  I  suspected  that  coal  had  been  made 
a  contraband  of  war,  so  I  wasn't  a  bit  surprised  when 
the  St.  Paul  brought  us  to,  with  a  shot,  three  and  a 
half  miles  from  shore." 

In  the  prize  court  it  was  decided  to  confiscate  the 
coal,  and  release  the  steamer. 

The  President  issued  a  proclamation  calling  for  sev- 
enty-five thousand  men. 


FROM    ALL    QUARTERS.  147 

Three  troop-ships,  laden  with  soldiers,  sailed  from 
San  Francisco  for  Manila. 

May  26.  The  battle-ship  Oregon,  which  left  San 
Francisco  March  iQth,  arrived  at  Key  West. 

May  27.  The  Spanish  torpedo-boat  destroyer  ar- 
rived at  San  Juan  de  Porto  Rico. 

May  28.  From  Commodore  Dewey  the  following 
cablegram  was  received  : 

"  CAVITE,  May  25th,  via  Hongkong,  May  27th. 

"  Secretary  Navy,  Washington :  —  No  change  in  the 
situation  of  the  blockade.  Is  effective.  It  is  impos- 
sible for  the  people  of  Manila  to  buy  provisions,  except 
rice. 

"The  captain  of  the  Olympia,  Gridley,  condemned 
by  medical  survey.  Is  ordered  home.  Leaves  by 
Occidental  and  Oriental  steamship  from  Hongkong  the 
twenty-eighth.  Commander  Lamberton  appointed  com- 
mander of  the  Olympia" 

May  29.  Maj.-Gen.  Wesley  Merritt  issued  an  order 
formally  announcing  that  he  had  taken  command  of  the 
Philippine  forces  and  expeditions. 

May  31.  United  States  troops  board  transports  for 
Cuba. 

The  beginning  of  June  saw  the  opening  of  the  first 
regular  campaign  of  the  war,  and  it  is  eminently  proper 
the  operations  around  and  about  Santiago  de  Cuba  be 
told  in  a  continuous  narrative,  rather  than  with  any 


148  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

further  attempt    at  giving  the  news  from  the  various 
parts  of  the  world  in  chronological  order. 

Therefore  such  events,  aside  from  the  Santiago  cam- 
paign, as  are  worthy  a  place  in  history,  will  be  set 
down  in  regular  sequence  after  certain  deeds  of  the 
boys  of  '98  have  been  related  in  such  detail  as  is 
warranted  by  the  heroism  displayed. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

HOBSON    AND   THE    MERRIMAC.    . 

Jl/T-A  Y  29.  The  blockading  fleet,  under  command  of 
•*  ^*  Commodore  Schley,  off  Santiago  de  Cuba,  was 
composed  of  the  Brooklyn,  Iowa,  Massachusetts,  Texas, 
New  Orleans,  Marblehead,  and  Vixen. 

At  about  midnight  on  May  29th  the  officer  of  the 
deck  on  board  the  Texas  saw,  by  aid  of  his  night- 
glass,  two  low-lying,  swiftly-running  steamers  stealing 
out  of  Santiago  Harbour,  and  keeping  well  within  the 
shadows  of  the  land. 

As  soon  as  might  be  thereafter  the  war-vessel's 
search-lights  were  turned  full  on,  and  at  the  same 
moment  the  sleeping  crew  were  awakened. 

It  was  known  beyond  a  question  that  the  Spanish 
fleet  under  Admiral  Cervera  was  hidden  within  the 
harbour,  not  daring  to  come  boldly  out  while  the  block- 
ading squadron  was  so  strong,  and  the  first  thought  of 
men  as  well  as  officers,  when  these  stealthily  moving 
vessels  were  sighted,  was  that  the  Spaniards  were 
making  a  desperate  effort  to  escape  from  the  trap  they 
had  voluntarily  entered. 

The  search-lights  of  the  Texas  revealed  the  fact  that 

'49 


I5O  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

the  two  strangers  were  torpedo-boats,  and  a  heavy  fire 
was  opened  upon  them  instantly. 

With  the  report  of  the  first  gun  the  call  to  quarters 
was  sounded  on  all  the  other  ships,  and  a  dozen  rays  of 
blinding  light  flashed  here  and  there  across  the  en- 
trance to  the  harbour,  until  the  waters  were  so  brilliantly 
illumined  that  the  smallest  craft  in  which  mariner  ever 
set  sail  could  not  have  come  out  unobserved. 

The  same  report  which  aroused  the  squadron  told 
the  Spaniards  that  their  purpose  was  no  longer  a  secret, 
and  the  two  torpedo-boats  were  headed  for  the  Brook- 
lyn and  the  Texas,  running  at  full  speed  in  the  hope  of 
discharging  their  tubes  before  the  fire  should  become 
too  heavy. 

The  enemy  had  not  calculated,  however,  upon  such  a 
warm  and  immediate  reception.  It  was  as  if  every  gun 
on  board  both  the  Brooklyn  and  Texas  was  in  action 
within  sixty  seconds  after  the  Spaniards  were  sighted, 
and  there  remained  nothing  for  the  venturesome 
craft  save  to  seek  the  shelter  of  the  harbour  again, 
fortunate  indeed  if  such  opportunity  was  allowed 
them. 

May  j/.  The  U.  S.  S.  Marblehead,  cruising  inshore 
to  relieve  the  monotony  of  blockading  duties,  discov- 
ered that  lying  behind  the  batteries  at  the  mouth  of 
Santiago  Harbour  were  four  Spanish  cruisers  and  two 
torpedo-boat  destroyers. 

When  this  fact  was  reported  to  the  commodore  he 
decided  to  tempt  the  Spanish  fleet  into  a  fight,  and  at 


HOBSON    AND   THE    MERRIMAC.  151 

the  same  time  discover  the  location  of  the  masked  bat- 
teries. In  pursuance  of  this  plan  he  transferred  his 
flag  from  the  Brooklyn  to  the  more  heavily  armed 
Massachusetts. 

Two  hours  after  noon  the  Massachusetts,  New 
Orleans,  and  Iowa,  in  the  order  named,  and  not  more 
than  a  cable  length  apart,  steamed  up  to  the  harbour 
mouth  to  within  four  thousand  yards  of  Morro  Castle. 

Two  miles  out  to  sea  lay  the  Brooklyn,  Texas,  and 
other  ships  of  the  blockading  fleet  awaiting  the  sum- 
mons which  should  bring  them  into  the  fight ;  but 
none  came. 

The  Massachusetts  opened  fire  first,  taking  the  Span- 
ish flag-ship  for  its  target.  An  8-inch  shell  was  the 
missile,  and  it  fell  far  short  of  its  mark.  Then  the  big 
machine  tried  her  1 3-inch  guns. 

The  Cristobal  Colon  and  four  batteries  —  two  on  the 
east  side,  one  on  the  west,  and  one  on  an  island  in 
the  middle  of  the  channel,  replied.  Their  10  and 
12-inch  Krupps  spoke  shot  for  shot  with  our  sixes, 
eights  and  thirteens.  It  was  noisy  and  spectacular, 
but  not  effective  on  either  side. 

The  American  fleet  steamed  across  before  the  bat- 
teries at  full  speed  ;  circled,  and  passed  again.  Both 
sides  had  found  the  range  by  the  time  of  the  second 
passing,  and  began  to  shoot  close.  Several  shots 
burst  directly  over  the  Iowa,  three  fell  dangerously 
near  the  New  Orleans,  and  one  sprayed  the  bow  of 
the  Massachusetts. 


152  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

After  half  an  hour  both  forts  on  the  east  and  the  one 
on  the  island  were  silenced.  Five  minutes  later  our 
ships  ceased  firing.  The  western  battery  and  the 
Spanish  flag-ship  kept  up  the  din  fifteen  minutes 
longer,  but  their  work  was  ineffective. 

June  i,  Rear-Admiral  Sampson,  with  the  New  York 
as  his  flag-ship,  and  accompanied  by  the  Oregon,  the 
Mayflower,  and  the  torpedo-boat  Porter,  joined  Com- 
modore Schley's  squadron  off  Santiago  on  the  first 
of  June. 

A  naval  officer  with  the  squadron  summed  up  the 
situation  in  a  communication  to  his  friend  at  home  : 

"  Pending  the  execution  of  Admiral  Sampson's  plan 
of  campaign,  our  ships  form  a  cordon  about  the  entrance 
of  Santiago  Harbour  to  prevent  the  possible  egress  of 
the  Spaniards,  should  Admiral  Cervera  be  foolhardy 
enough  to  attempt  to  cut  his  way  out." 

The  officers  of  the  blockading  squadron  were  well 
informed  as  to  the  situation  ashore.  Communication 
with  the  Cubans  had  been  established,  and  it  was 
known  that  a  line  of  insurgents  had  been  drawn 
around  Santiago,  in  order  that  they  might  be  of 
assistance  when  the  big  war-vessels  had  struck  the 
first  blow. 

The  defences  of  the  harbour  were  fairly  well-known 
despite  the  vigilance  of  the  enemy,  and  it  was  no  secret 
that  within  the  narrow  neck  of  the  channel,  which  at 
the  entrance  is  hardly  more  than  three  hundred  feet 
wide,  eighteen  or  twenty  mines  had  been  planted. 


HOBSON    AND   THE    MERRIMAC.  153 

A  report  from  one  of  the  newspaper  correspondents, 
under  date  of  June  1st,  was  as  follows  : 

"So  far  as  has  been  ascertained,  there  are  three 
new  batteries  on  the  west  side  of  the  entrance. 
These  appear  to  be  formed  entirely  of  earthworks. 

"  The  embrasures  for  the  guns  can  easily  be  dis- 
cerned with  the  glasses.  Cayo  Smith,  a  small  island 
which  lies  directly  beyond  the  entrance,  is  fortified, 
and  back  of  Morro,  which  sits  on  the  rocky  eminences 
at  the  right  of  the  entrance,  are  Estrella  battery 
and  St.  Carolina  fort.  Further  up  the  bay,  guarding 
the  last  approach  to  the  city  of  Santiago,  is  Blanco 
battery. 

"  The  first  are  of  stone,  and  were  constructed  in  the 
early  sixties.  St.  Carolina  fort  is  partially  in  ruins.  The 
guns  in  Morro  Castle  and  Estrella  are  of  old  pattern,  1 8 
and  24-pounders,  and  would  not  even  be  considered 
were  it  not  for  the  great  height  of  the  fortifications, 
which  would  enable  these  weapons  to  deliver  a  plunging 
fire. 

"  Modern  guns  are  mounted  on  the  batteries  to  the 
left  of  the  entrance.  On  Cayo  Smith  and  at  Blanco 
battery  there  are  also  four  modern  guns.  The  mines 
in  the  narrow,  tortuous  channel,  and  the  elevation  of  the 
forts  and  batteries,  which  must  increase  the  effective- 
ness of  the  enemy's  fire,  and  at  the  same  time  decrease 
that  of  our  own,  reinforced  by  the  guns  of  the  Spanish 
fleet  inside,  make  the  harbour,  as  it  now  appears,  almost 
impregnable.  Unless  the  entrance  is  countermined  it 


154  THE  BOYS  OF  '98. 

would  be  folly  to  attempt  to  force  its  passage  with  our 
ships. 

"  But  the  Spanish  fleet  is  bottled  up,  and  a  plan  is 
being  considered  to  drive  in  the  cork.  If  that  is  done, 
the  next  news  may  be  a  thrilling  story  of  closing  the 
harbour.  It  would  release  a  part  of  our  fleet,  and  leave 
the  Spaniards  to  starve  and  rot  until  they  were  ready 
to  hoist  the  white  flag." 

"To  drive  in  the  cork,"  was  the  subject  nearest  Rear- 
Admiral  Sampson's  heart,  and  he  at  once  went  into 
consultation  with  his  officers  as  to  how  it  could  best 
be  done.  One  plan  after  another  was  discussed  and 
rejected,  and  then  Assistant  Naval  Constructor  Rich- 
mond Pearson  Hobson  proposed  that  the  big  collier 
Merrimac,  which  then  had  on  board  about  six  hundred 
tons  of  coal,  be  sunk  across  the  channel  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  completely  block  it. 

The  plan  was  a  good  one ;  but  yet  it  seemed  certain 
death  for  those  who  should  attempt  to  carry  it  out  as 
proposed.  Lieutenant  Hobson,  however,  claimed  that,  if 
the  scheme  was  accepted,  he  should  by  right  be  allowed 
to  take  command  of  the  enterprise. 

The  end  to  be  attained  was  so  great  that  Admiral 
Sampson  decided  that  the  lives  of  six  or  seven  men 
could  not  be  allowed  to  outweigh  the  advantage  to 
be  gained,  and  Lieutenant  Hobson  was  notified  that 
his  services  were  accepted ;  the  big  steamer  was  at  his 
disposal  to  do  with  as  he  saw  fit. 

June  n.     The  preliminary  work  of  this  desperate 


HOBSON    AND   THE    MERRIMAC.  155 

undertaking  was  a  strain  upon  the  officers  and  men. 
On  Wednesday  morning  the  preparations  to  scuttle  the 
Merrimac  in  the  channel  were  commenced.  All  day 
long  crews  from  the  New  York  and  Brooklyn  were 
on  board  the  collier,  never  resting  in  their  efforts 
to  prepare  her.  She  lay  alongside  the  Massachusetts, 
discharging  coal,  when  the  work  was  first  begun. 

The  news  of  the  intended  expedition  travelled  quickly 
through  the  fleet,  and  it  soon  became  known  that 
volunteers  were  needed  for  a  desperate  undertaking. 
From  the  lowas  signal-yard  quickly  fluttered  the  an- 
nouncement that  she  had  140  volunteers,  and  the  other 
ships  were  not  far  behind.  On  the  New  York  the  enthu- 
siasm was  intense.  Over  two  hundred  members  of  the 
crew  volunteered  to  go  into  that  narrow  harbour  and 
face  death.  The  junior  officers  literally  tumbled  over 
each  other  in  their  eagerness  to  get  their  names  on  the 
volunteer  list. 

When  it  was  learned  that  only  six  men  and  Lieuten- 
ant Hobson  were  to  go,  there  was  much  disappointment 
on  all  sides.  All  Wednesday  night  the  crews  worked 
on  board  the  Merrimac ;  and  the  other  ships,  as  they 
passed  the  collier,  before  sundown,  cheered  her.  Lieu- 
tenant Hobson  paid  a  brief  visit  to  the  flag-ship  shortly 
before  midnight,  and  then  returned  to  the  Merrimac. 

While  on  board  the  flag-ship  Lieutenant  Hobson 
thus  detailed  his  plan  of  action  : 

"I  shall  go  right  into  the  harbour  until  about  four 
hundred  yards  past  the  Estrella  battery,  which  is 


156  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

behind  Morro  Castle.  I  do  not  think  they  can  sink 
me  before  I  reach  somewhere  near  that  point.  The 
Merrimac  has  seven  thousand  tons  buoyancy,  and  I 
shall  keep  her  full  speed  ahead.  She  can  make  about 
ten  knots.  When  the  narrowest  part  of  the  channel 
is  reached  I  shall  put  her  helm  hard  aport,  stop  the 
engines,  drop  the  anchors,  open  the  sea  connections, 
touch  off  the  torpedoes,  and  leave  the  Merrimac  a 
wreck,  lying  athwart  the  channel,  which  is  not  as 
broad  as  the  Merrimac  is  long.  There  are  ten  8- 
incrAmprovised  torpedoes  below  the  water-line,  on  the 
Merrimac 's  port-side.  They  are  placed  on  her  side 
against  the  bulk-heads  and  vital  spots,  connected  with 
each  other  by  a  wire  under  the  ship's  keel.  Each  tor- 
pedo contains  eighty-two  pounds  of  gunpowder.  Each 
torpedo  is  also  connected  with  the  bridge  ;  they  should 
do  their  work  in  a  minute,  and  it  will  be  quick  work 
even  if  done  in  a  minute  and  a  quarter. 

"  On  deck  there  will  be  four  men  and  myself.  In 
the  engine-room  there  will  be  two  other  men.  This 
is  the  total  crew,  and  all  of  us  will  be  in  our  under- 
clothing, with  revolvers  and  ammunition  in  water-tight 
packing  strapped  around  our  waists.  Forward  there 
will  be  a  man  on  deck,  and  around  his  waist  will  be 
a  line,  the  other  end  of  the  line  being  made  fast  to  the 
bridge,  where  I  will  stand.  By  that  man's  side  will  be 
an  axe.  When  I  stop  the  engines  I  shall  jerk  this 
cord,  and  he  will  thus  get  the  signal  to  cut  the  lashing 
which  will  be  holding  the  forward  anchor.  He  will 


LIEUTENANT    HOBSON. 


HOBSON    AND   THE    MERRIMAC.  157 

then  jump  overboard  and  swim  to  the  four-oared  dingy, 
which  we  shall  tow  astern.  The  dingy  is  full  of  life- 
buoys, and  is  unsinkable.  In  it  are  rifles.  It  is  to  be 
held  by  two  ropes,  one  made  fast  at  her  bow  and  one 
at  her  stern.  The  first  man  to  reach  her  will  haul  in 
the  tow-line  and  pull  the  dingy  to  starboard.  The  next 
to  leave  the  ship  are  the  rest  of  the  crew.  The  quar- 
termaster at  the  wheel  will  not  leave  until  after  having 
put  it  hard  aport,  and  lashed  it  so ;  he  will  then  jump 
overboard. 

"  Down  below,  the  man  at  the  reversing  gear  will 
stop  the  engines,  scramble  up  on  deck,  and  get  over 
the  side  as  quickly  as  he  is  able.  The  man  in  the 
engine-room  will  break  open  the  sea  connections  with 
a  sledge-hammer,  and  will  follow  his  leader  into  the 
water.  This  last  step  ensures  the  sinking  of  the  Mer- 
rimac  whether  the  torpedoes  work  or  not.  By  this 
time  I  calculate  the  six  men  will  be  in  the  dingy  and 
the  Merrimac  will  have  swung  athwart  the  channel,  to 
the  full  length  of  her  three  hundred  yards  of  cable, 
which  will  have  been  paid  out  before  the  anchors  are 
cut  loose.  Then,  all  that  is  left  for  me  is  to  touch  the 
button.  I  shall  stand  on  the  starboard  side  of  the 
bridge.  The  explosion  will  throw  the  Merrimac  on 
her  starboard  side.  Nothing  on  this  side  of  New  York 
City  will  be  able  to  raise  her  after  that." 

In  reply  to  frequent  questions,  Hobson  said  : 
"  I  suppose  the  Estrella  battery  will  fire  down  on  us 
a  bit,  but  the  ships  will  throw  their  search-lights  in  the 


158  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

gunners'  faces,  and  they  won't  see  much  of  us.  If 
we  are  torpedoed  we  should  even  then  be  able  to 
make  the  desired  position  in  the  channel.  It  won't  be 
easy  to  hit  us,  and  I  think  the  men  should  be  able  to 
swim  to  the  dingy.  I  may  jump  before  I  am  blown  up. 
But  I  don't  see  that  it  makes  much  difference  what  I 
do.  I  have  a  fair  chance  of  life  either  way.  If  our 
dingy  gets  shot  to  pieces  we  shall  then  try  to  swim  for 
the  beach  right  under  Morro  Castle.  We  shall  keep 
together  at  all  hazards.  Then  we  may.  be  able  to 
make  our  way  alongside,  and  perhaps  get  back  to  the 
ship.  We  shall  fight  the  sentries  or  a  squad  until  the 
last,  and  shall  only  surrender  to  overwhelming  num- 
bers, and  our  surrender  will  only  take  place  as  a  last 
and  almost  uncontemplated  emergency." 

The  volunteers  accepted  for  this  most  hazardous 
enterprise  were,  after  Lieutenant  Hobson  :  George  F. 
Phillips,  machinist  on  the  Merrimac ;  Francis  Kelly, 
water  tender  on  the  Merrimac:  Randolph  Clausen, 
coxswain  on  the  New  York ;  George  Charette,  first- 
class  gunner's  mate  on  the  New  York  •  Daniel  Monta- 
gue, first  class  machinist  on  the  New  York ;  Osburn 
Deignan,  coxswain  on  the  Merrimac ;  J.  C.  Murphy, 
coxswain  on  the  Iowa. 

June  21.  At  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  the 
admiral  and  Flag  Lieutenant  Staunton  got  into  the 
launch  to  make  an  inspection  of  the  Merrimac.  The 
working  gangs  were  still  on  board  of  her,  and  the  offi- 
cers of  the  flag-ship  stood  with  their  glasses  focused  on 


HOBSON  AND  THE  MERRIMAC.       159 

the  big  black  hull  that  was  to  form  an  impassable 
obstacle  for  Spain's  best  ships. 

The  minutes  slipped  by,  the  crews  had  not  completed 
their  work  on  the  Merrimac,  but  at  last  a  boatload  of 
men,  black  and  tired  out,  came  over  to  the  flag-ship. 
Last  of  all,  at  4.30,  came  the  admiral.  He  had  been 
delayed  by  a  breakdown  of  the  steam  launch. 

Dawn  was  breaking  over  Santiago  de  Cuba,  and 
nearly  everybody  thought  it  was  too  late  for  the 
attempt  to  be  made  that  morning.  Then  somebody 
cried : 

"  She  is  going  in." 

Surely  enough,  the  seemingly  deserted  collier  was 
seen  heading  straight  for  Morro  Castle.  A  few  mo- 
ments later,  however,  she  was  recalled  by  Admiral 
Sampson,  who  thought  it  sure  death  for  Hobson  to 
venture  in  at  that  hour.  The  Merrimac  did  not  return 
at  once.  Word  came  back  : 

"  Lieutenant  Hobson  asks  permission  to  continue  on 
his  course.  He  thinks  he  can  make  it." 

The  admiral  sent  Hobson  a  message  to  the  effect 
that  the  Merrimac  must  return  at  once,  and  in  due 
course  of  time  the  doomed  collier  slowly  steamed  back, 
her  commander  evidently  disappointed  with  the  order. 
All  day  Thursday  the  collier  lay  near  the  flag-ship,  and 
more  elaborate  preparations  were  made  to  carry  out  the 
mission  of  the  Merrimac  successfully.  During  these 
preparations  Hobson  was  cool  and  confident,  supervis- 
ing personally  every  little  detail. 


l6o  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

When,  finally,  he  went  on  board  the  Merrimac  Thurs- 
day night,  he  had  been  without  sleep  since  Wednesday 
morning.  His  uniform  was  begrimed,  his  hands  were 
black,  and  he  looked  like  a  man  who  had  been  hard  at 
work  in  and  about  an  engine-room  for  a  long  time. 
As  he  said  good-bye,  the  lieutenant  remarked  that  his 
only  regret  was  that  all  of  the  New  York's  volunteers 
could  not  go  with  him. 

June  j.  The  hazardous  voyage  was  begun  at  three 
o'clock  Friday  morning.  The  Merrimdc  was  lying  to 
the  westward.  Under  cover  of  the  clouds  over  the 
moon,  she  stole  in  toward  the  coast  and  made  her 
way  to  the  eastward,  followed  by  a  steam  launch 
from  the  New  York,  with  the  following  crew  on  board  : 
Naval  Cadet  J.  W.  Powell,  of  Oswego,  N.  Y.  ;  P.  K. 
Peterson,  coxswain  ;  H.  Handford,  apprentice  of  the 
first  class ;  J.  Mullings,  coal  passer ;  G.  L.  Russell, 
machinist  of  the  second  class.  In  the  launch  were 
bandages  and  appliances  for  the  wounded. 

From  the  crowded  decks  of  the  New  York  nothing 
could  be  seen  of  the  Merrimac  after  she  got  under  the 
shadow  of  the  hills.  For  half  an  hour  officers  and  men 
strained  their  eyes  peering  into  the  gloom,  when,  sud- 
denly, the  flash  of  a  gun  streamed  out  from  Morro 
Castle,  and  then  all  on  board  the  New  York  knew  the 
Merrimac  was  nearing  her  end. 

The  guns  from  the  Spanish  battery  opposite  Morro 
Castle  answered  quickly  with  more  flashes,  and  for 
about  twenty  minutes  tongues  of  fire  seemed  to  leap 


HOBSON    AND   THE    MERRIMAC.  l6l 

across  the  harbour  entrance.  The  flag-ship  was  too 
far  away  to  hear  the  reports,  and  when  the  firing 
ceased  it  was  judged  that  Hobson  had  blown  up  the 
Merrimac. 

During  an  hour  the  anxious  watchers  waited  for 
daylight.  Rear-Admiral  Sampson  and  Captain  Chad- 
wick  were  on  the  bridge  of  the  New  York  during 
the  entire  time.  At  five  o'clock  thin  streams  of 
smoke  were  seen  against  the  western  shore,  quite 
close  to  the  Spanish  batteries,  and  strong  glasses 
made  out  the  launch  of  the  New  York  returning  to 
the  flag-ship. 

Scarcely  had  the  small  craft  been  sighted  before  a 
puff  of  smoke  issued  from  a  battery  on  the  western 
arm  of  the  harbour,  and  a  shot  plunged  far  over  the 
launch.  Then  for  fifteen  minutes  the  big  guns  ashore 
kept  up  an  irregular  fire  on  the  little  craft.  As  the 
shells  fell  without  hitting  the  object  for  which  they 
were  intended,  the  men  on  board  the  New  York 
jeered  at  the  Spanish  marksmanship,  and  cheered 
their  shipmates. 

At  6.15  the  launch  came  alongside  the  flag-ship,  but 
she  did  not  have  on  board  any  of  the  Merrimac  s  crew. 
Cadet  Powell  reported  that  he  had  been  unable  to  see 
any  of  the  men.  It  was  learned  that  the  cadet  had 
gone  directly  under  the  batteries,  and  only  returned 
when  he  found  his  efforts  were  useless. 

He  also  reported  that  he  had  clearly  seen  the  Merri- 
mac s  masts  sticking  up  just  where  Hobson  hoped  to 


1 62  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

sink  her,  north  of  the  Estrella  battery,  and  well  past 
the  guns  of  Morro  Castle. 

Cadet  Powell  thus  related  the  last  interview  he  had 
with  the  officer  whom  it  seemed  certain  had  voluntarily 
gone  to  his  death  : 

"  Lieutenant  Hobson  took  a  short  sleep  for  a  few 
hours,  which  was  often  interrupted.  At  a  quarter 
before  two  he  came  on  deck  and  made  a  final  inspec- 
tion, giving  his  last  instructions.  Then  we  had  a  little 
lunch.  Hobson  was  as  cool  as  a  cucumber.  At  about 
half  past  two  I  took  the  men  who  were  not  going  on 
the  trip  into  the  launch,  and  started  for  the  Texas,  the 
nearest  ship,  but  had  to  go  back  for  one  of  the  assistant 
engineers,  whom  Hobson  finally  compelled  to  leave.  I 
shook  hands  with  Hobson  last  of  all.  He  said  : 

" '  Powell,  watch  the  boat's  crew  when  we  pull  out 
of  the  harbour.  We  will  be  cracks,  pulling  thirty  strokes 
to  the  minute.' 

"  After  leaving  the  Texas  I  saw  the  Merrimac  steam- 
ing slowly  in. 

"  It  was  only  fairly  dark  then,  and  the  shore  was 
quite  visible.  We  followed  about  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  astern.  The  Merrimac  stood  about  a  mile  to  the 
westward  of  the  harbour,  and  seemed  a  bit  mixed,  turn- 
ing completely  around,  and  finally  heading  to  the  east, 
she  ran  down  and  then  turned  in.  We  were  then 
chasing  him  because  I  thought  Hobson  had  lost  his 
bearings. 

"When  Hobson  was  about  two  hundred  yards  from 


HOBSON  AND  THE  MERRIMAC.        163 

the  harbour  the  first  gun  was  fired,  from  the  eastern 
bluff.  We  were  then  about  half  a  mile  offshore,  and 
nearing  the  batteries.  The  firing  increased  rapidly. 
We  steamed  in  slowly,  and  lost  sight  of  the  Merrimac 
in  the  smoke  which  the  wind  carried  offshore.  It  hung 
heavily.  Before  Hobson  could  have  blown  up  the 
Merrimac  the  western  battery  picked  us  up  and  com- 
menced firing.  They  shot  wild,  however,  and  we  ran 
in  still  farther  to  the  shore  until  the  gunners  lost  sight 
of  us.  Then  we  heard  the  explosion  of  the  torpedoes 
on  the  Merrimac. 

"  Until  daylight  we  waited  just  outside  the  breakers, 
half  a  mile  to  the  westward  of  Morro,  keeping  a  sharp 
lookout  for  the  boat  or  for  swimmers,  but  saw  nothing. 
Hobson  had  arranged  to  meet  us  at  that  point,  but 
thinking  that  some  one  might  have  drifted  out,  we 
crossed  in  front  of  Morro  and  the  mouth  of  the  harbour, 
to  the  eastward. 

"  At  about  five  o'clock  we  crossed  the  harbour  again, 
and  stood  to  the  westward.  In  passing  we  saw  one 
spar  of  the  Merrimac  sticking  out  of  the  water.  We 
hugged  the  shore  just  outside  of  the  breakers  for  a 
mile,  and  then  turned  toward  the  Texas,  when  the 
batteries  saw  us  and  opened  fire.  It  was  then  broad 
daylight.  The  first  shot  dropped  thirty  yards  astern, 
but  the  others  went  wild.  I  drove  the  launch  for  all 
she  was  worth,  finally  making  the  New  York.  The 
men  behaved  splendidly." 

June  j.     Later  in  the  day  a  boat  with  a  white  flag  put 


1 64  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

out  from  the  harbour,  and  Captain  Oviedo,  chief  of 
staff  of  Admiral  Cervera,  boarded  the  New  York,  and 
informed  Admiral  Sampson  that  the  whole  party  had 
been  captured ;  that  only  two  were  injured.  Lieuten- 
ant Hobson  was  not  hurt.  The  Spanish  admiral  was 
so  impressed  with  the  courage  of  the  Merrimac  s  crew 
that  he  decided  to  inform  Admiral  Sampson  of  the  fact 
that  they  had  not  lost  their  lives,  but  were  prisoners  of 
war  and  could  be  exchanged. 

To  a  newspaper  correspondent  Commodore  Schley 
said,  as  he  stood  on  his  flag-ship  pointing  towards 
Morro  Castle : 

"  History  does  not  record  an  act  of  finer  heroism 
than  that  of  the  gallant  men  who  are  prisoners  over 
there.  I  watched  the  Merrimac  as  she  made  her  way 
to  the  entrance  of  the  harbour,  and  my  heart  sank  as  I 
saw  the  perfect  hell  of  fire  that  fell  upon  those  devoted 
men.  I  did  not  think  it  possible  one  of  them  could 
have  gone  through  it  alive. 

"They  went  into  the  jaws  of  death.  It  was  Bala- 
klava  over  again  without  the  means  of  defence  which 
the  Light  Brigade  had.  Hobson  led  a  forlorn  hope 
without  the  power  to  cut  his  way  out ;  but  fortune 
once  more  favoured  the  brave,  and  I  hope  he  will  have 
the  recognition  and  promotion  he  deserves.  His  name 
will  live  as  long  as  the  heroes  of  the  world  are 
remembered." 

Admiral  Sampson  made  the  following  report  to  the 
Navy  Department : 


HOBSON    AND   THE    MERRIMAC.  165 

"  Permit  me  to  call  your  especial  attention  to 
Assistant  Naval  Constructor  Hobson. 

"  As  stated  in  a  special  telegram,  before  coming  here 
I  decided  to  make  the  harbour  entrance  secure  against 
the  possibility  of  egress  by  Spanish  ships,  by  obstruct- 
ing the  narrow  part  of  the  entrance  by  sinking  a  collier 
at  that  point. 

"  Upon  calling  upon  Mr.  Hobson  for  his  professional 
opinion  as  to  a  sure  method  of  sinking  the  ship,  he 
manifested  the  most  lively  interest  in  the  problem. 
After  several  days'  consideration,  he  presented  a  solu- 
tion which  he  considered  would  ensure  the  immediate 
sinking  of  the  ship  when  she  reached  the  desired  point 
in  the  channel.  This  plan  we  prepared  for  execution 
when  we  reached  Santiago. 

"The  plan  contemplated  a  crew  of  only  seven  men 
and  Mr.  Hobson,  who  begged  that  it  might  be  entrusted 
to  him.  The  anchor  chains  were  arranged  on  deck  for 
both  the  anchors,  forward  and  aft,  the  plan  including 
the  anchoring  of  the  ship  automatically.  As  soon 
as  I  reached  Santiago,  and  I  had  the  collier  to  work 
upon,  the  details  were  completed  and  diligently  prose- 
cuted, hoping  to  complete  them  in  one  day,  as  the 
moon  and  tide  served  best  the  first  night  after  our 
arrival. 

"  Notwithstanding  every  effort  the  hour  of  four 
o'clock  arrived,  and  the  preparation  was  scarcely  com- 
pleted. After  a  careful  inspection  of  the  final  prepara- 
tions, I  was  forced  to  relinquish  the  plan  for  that 


1 66  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

morning,  as  dawn  was  breaking.  Mr.  Hobson  begged 
to  try  it  at  all  hazards. 

"This  morning  proved  more  propitious,  as  a  prompt 
start  could  be  made.  Nothing  could  have  been  more 
gallantly  executed. 

"  We  waited  impatiently  after  the  firing  by  the 
Spaniards  had  ceased.  When  they  did  not  reappear 
from  the  harbour  at  six  o'clock,  I  feared  that  they 
had  all  perished.  A  steam  launch,  which  had  been 
sent  in  charge  of  Naval  Cadet  Powell  to  rescue  the 
men,  appeared  at  this  time,  coming  out  under  a  per- 
sistent fire  of  the  batteries,  but  brought  none  of  the 
crew. 

"  A  careful  inspection  of  the  harbour  from  this  ship 
showed  that  the  vessel  Merrimac  had  been  sunk  in  the 
channel. 

"This  afternoon  the  chief  of  staff  of  Admiral 
Cervera  came  out  under  a  flag  of  truce,  with  a  letter 
from  the  admiral,  extolling  the  bravery  of  the  crew  in 
an  unusual  manner.  « 

"  I  cannot  myself  too  earnestly  express  my  apprecia- 
tion of  the  conduct  of  Mr.  Hobson  and  his  gallant  crew. 
I  venture  to  say  that  a  more  brave  or  daring  thing  has 
not  been  done  since  Gushing  blew  up  the  Albermarle. 

"  Referring  to  the  inspiring  letter  which  you  ad- 
dressed to  the  officers  at  the  beginning  of  the  war, 
I  am  sure  you  will  offer  a  suitable  professional  reward 
to  Mr.  Hobson  and  his  companions.  I  must  add  that 
Commander  J.  M.  Miller  relinquished  his  command  with 


HOBSON    AND    THE    MERRIMAC.  167 

the  very  greatest  reluctance,  believing  he  should  retain 
his  command  under  all  circumstances. 

"  He  was,  however,  finally  convinced  that  the  attempt 
of  another  person  to  carry  out  the  multitude  of  details 
which  had  been  in  preparation  by  Mr.  Hobson  might 
endanger  its  proper  execution.  I  therefore  took  the 
liberty  to  relieve  him,  for  this  reason  only. 

"There  were  hundreds  of  volunteers  who  were  anxious 
to  participate.  There  were  a  hundred  and  fifty  men 
from  the  Iowa,  nearly  as  many  from  this  ship,  and  large 
numbers  from  all  the  other  ships,  officers  and  men  alike. 

"  W.  T.  SAMPSON." 

Not  until  the  sixth  of  July  were  Hobson  and  his  brave 
comrades  exchanged,  and  then  to  his  messmates  the 
gallant  lieutenant  told  the  story  of  his  perilous  voyage 
on  that  morning  of  June  4th  : 

"  I  did  not  miss  the  entrance  to  the  harbour,"  he 
said,  "as  Cadet  Powell  in  the  launch  supposed.  I 
headed  east  until  I  got  my  bearings,  and  then  made 
for  it  straight  in.  Then  came  the  firing.  It  was 
grand,  flashing  out  first  from  one  side  of  the  harbour 
and  then  from  the  other,  from  those  big  guns  on  the 
hill,  the  Vizcaya,  lying  inside  the  harbour,  joining  in. 

"  Troops  from  Santiago  had  rushed  down  when  the 
news  of  the  Merrimac's  coming  was  telegraphed,  and 
soldiers  lined  the  foot  of  the  cliffs,  firing  wildly  across, 
and  killing  each  other  with  the  cross-fire. 

"  The  Merrimacs  steering-gear  broke  as  she  got  to 


1 68  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

Estrella  Point.  Only  three  of  the  torpedoes  on  her 
side  exploded  when  I  touched  the  button.  A  huge 
submarine  mine  caught  her  full  amidships,  hurling  the 
water  high  in  the  air,  and  tearing  a  great  rent  in  her 
side. 

"  Her  stern  ran  upon  Estrella  Point.  Chiefly  owing 
to  the  work  done  by  the  mine,  she  began  to  sink  slowly. 
At  that  time  she  was  across  the  channel,  but  before  she 
settled  the  tide  drifted  her  around.  We  were  all  aft, 
lying  on  the  deck.  Shells  and  bullets  whistled  around. 
Six-inch  shells  from  the  Vizcaya  came  tearing  into  the 
Merrimac,  crashing  into  wood  and  iron,  and  passing 
clear  through,  while  the  plunging  shots  from  the  forts 
broke  through  her  deck. 

" '  Not  a  man  must  move,'  I  said,  and  it  was  only 
owing  to  the  splendid  discipline  of  the  men  that  we  all 
were  not  killed,  as  the  shells  rained  over  us,  and  the 
minutes  became  hours  of  suspense.  The  men's  mouths 
became  parched,  but  we  must  lie  there  till  daylight,  I 
told  them.  Now  and  again,  one  or  the  other  of  the 
men,  lying  with  his  face  glued  to  the  deck  and  wonder- 
ing whether  the  next  shell  might  not  come  our  way, 
would  say,  '  Hadn't  we  better  drop  off  now,  sir  ? '  But 
I  said,  '  Wait  till  daylight.' 

"  It  would  have  been  impossible  to  get  the  catamaran 
anywhere  but  on  to  the  shore,  where  the  soldiers  stood 
shooting,  and  I  hoped  that  by  daylight  we  might  be 
recognised  and  saved. 

"  The  grand  old  Merrimac  kept  sinking.    I  wanted  to 


ADMIRAL   CERVERA. 


HOBSON    AND   THE    MERRIMAC.  169 

go  forward  and  see  the  damage  done  there,  where  nearly 
all  the  fire  was  directed.  One  man  said  that  if  I  rose 
it  would  draw  all  the  fire  on  the  rest.  So  I  lay  motion- 
less. It  was  splendid  the  way  these  men  behaved. 

"  The  fire  of  the  soldiers,  the  batteries  and  the  Viz- 
caya  was  awful.  When  the  water  came  up  on  the 
Merrimacs  deck  the  catamaran  floated  amid  the  wreck- 
age, but  she  was  still  made  fast  to  the  boom,  and  we 
caught  hold  of  the  edges  and  clung  on,  our  heads  only 
being  above  water. 

"  One  man  thought  we  were  safer  right  there  ;  it  was 
quite  light,  the  firing  had  ceased,  except  that  on  the 
New  York's  launch,  and  I  feared  Cadet  Powell  and  his 
men  had  been  killed. 

"  A  Spanish  launch  came  toward  the  Merrimac.  We 
agreed  to  capture  her  and  run.  Just  as  she  came  close 
the  Spaniards  saw  us,  and  half  a  dozen  marines  jumped 
up  and  pointed  their  rifles  at  our  heads  sticking  out  of 
the  water. 

"  '  Is  there  any  officer  in  that  boat  to  receive  a 
surrender  of  prisoners  of  war  ? '  I  shouted. 

"An  old  man  leaned  out  under  the  awning  and 
waved  his  hand.  It  was  Admiral  Cervera.  The 
marines  lowered  their  rifles  and  we  were  helped 
into  the  launch. 

"Then  we  were  put  in  cells  in  Morro  Castle.  It 
was  a  grand  sight  a  few  days  later  to  see  the  bombard- 
ment, the  shells  striking  and  bursting  around  El  Morro. 
Then  we  were  taken  into  Santiago.  I  had  the  court 


I7O  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

martial  room  in  the  barracks.  My  men  were  kept 
prisoners  in  the  hospital. 

"  From  my  window  I  could  see  the  army  moving, 
and  it  was  terrible  to  watch  those  poor  lads  coming 
across  the  opening  and  being  shot  down  by  the  Spaniards 
in  the  rifle-pits  in  front  of  me. 

"  Yesterday  the  Spaniards  became  as  polite  as  could 
be.  I  knew  something  was  coming,  and  then  I  was 
exchanged." 


QUEEN    REGENT,    MARIA    CHRISTINA    OF    SPAIN. 


CHAPTER   IX. 

BY    WIRE. 

~]\/[A  Yjo.  The  auxiliary  cruisers  Leyden  and  Uncas 
J-V-l  made  an  attack  on  one  of  the  outlying  block- 
houses at  Cardenas,  plying  their  3-pounders  until  the 
Spaniards  deserted  their  batteries. 

June  i.  The  government  of  Paraguay  represented 
to  the  American  consul  at  Asuncion  that  the  Spanish 
torpedo-boat  Temerario  was  disabled,  and  had  been 
granted  permission  to  remain  at  that  port  until  the  war 
between  the  United  States  and  Spain  had  come  to  an 
end. 

In  Spain  there  are  many  differences  of  opinion  re- 
garding the  conduct  of  the  war,  as  evinced  by  a  news- 
paper article  to  which  was  signed  the  name  of  Emilio 
Castelar,  the  distinguished  republican  statesman. 

Seflor  Castelar  attacked  the  queen  regent,  reproach- 
ing her  with  being  a  foreigner  and  unpopular,  and  with 
interfering  unjustifiably  in  political  affairs.  He  com- 
pared her  position  with  that  of  Queen  Marie  Antoinette 
on  the  eve  of  the  French  revolution. 

The  matter  came  before  the  Senate  ;  Duke  de  Roca 
demanded  the  prosecution  of  Castelar,  and  other  Sena- 

171 


172  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

tors  expressed  in  violent  terms  their  indignation  at 
Seflor  Castelar's  conduct. 

June  2.  The  British  steamer  Restormel,  captured  by 
the  auxiliary  cruiser  St.  Paul  off  Santiago  de  Cuba, 
was  released  by  the  government.  It  was  shown  that 
the  Restormel  sailed  previous  to  the  declaration  of  war, 
there  being  no  evidence  that  the  steamer's  owners  were 
wilfully  and  knowingly  guilty  of  aiding  the  enemy's 
fleet,  and  she  was  ordered  released.  The  cargo  was 
condemned. 

The  names  of  the  captains  and  commanders  of  the 
ships  in  Admiral  Dewey's  squadron  were  sent  to  the 
Senate,  by  the  President,  for  advancement  because  of 
their  conspicuous  conduct. 

The  House  of  Representatives  passed  an  urgency 
appropriation  of  nearly  eighteen  million  dollars  for  war 
purposes. 

From  Captain  Clark's  report,  the  Navy  Department 
made  public  the  following  extract  relative  to  the 
extraordinary  voyage  of  the  Oregon : 

"  It  is  gratifying  to  call  the  department's  attention 
to  the  spirit  aboard  this  ship  in  both  officers  and  men. 
This  best  can  be  described  by  referring  to  instances 
such  as  that  of  the  engineer  officers  in  voluntarily 
doubling  their  watches  when  high  speed  was  to  be 
made,  to  the  attempt  of  men  to  return  to  the  fire-room 
after  being  carried  out  of  it  insensible,  and  to  the  fact 
that  most  of  the  whole  crew,  who  were  working  by 
watches  by  day  and  night  at  Sandy  Point,  preferred  to 


BY    WIRE.  173 

leave  their  hammocks  in  the  nettings  until  they  could 
get  the  ship  coaled  and  ready  to  sail  from  Sandy 
Point." 

June  j.  The  collier  Merrintac  was  sunk  in  the 
channel  of  Santiago  Harbour,  as  has  already  been  told. 

June  4.  Captain  Charles  Vernon  Gridley,  com- 
mander of  the  cruiser  Olympia,  and  commanding  her 
during  the  battle  of  Manila  Bay,  died  at  Kobe,  Japan. 

June  5.  An  account  of  personal  heroism  which 
should  be  set  down  in  every  history,  that  future  genera- 
tions may  know  of  what  metal  the  boys  of  '98  were 
made,  was  telegraphed  from  Tampa,  Florida. 

Lieutenant  Parker,  who  was  in  charge  of  the  old  club- 
house on  Lafayette  St^et,  near  the  brigade  head- 
quarters, and  which  was  being  used  by  the  government 
as  a  storehouse,  and  Thomas  McGee,  a  veteran  of  the 
civil  war,  prevented  what  might  have  been  a  calamity. 

While  a  force  of  soldiers  was  engaged  in  carrying 
boxes  of  ammunition  from  the  warehouse  and  loading 
them  to  waiting  army  wagons,  smoke  was  seen  issuing 
from  a  box  of  ammunition.  In  an  instant  the  cry  of 
fire  went  up,  and  soldiers  and  negro  roustabouts 
piled  over  each  other  in  their  scramble  for  safety. 
McGee,  however,  rushed  toward  the  box,  picked  it  up, 
and  was  staggering  in  the  direction  of  the  river,  some 
distance  away,  when  Lieutenant  Parker,  who  had  heard 
the  warning  cry,  came  to  his  assistance.  Together 
they  carried  the  smoking  box  until  it  was  possible  to 
throw  it  into  the  water. 


174  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

How  the  fire  originated  is  a  mystery.  In  the  store- 
house were  piled  hundreds  of  boxes  of  ammunition, 
each  containing  one  thousand  cartridges.  Had  the 
cartridges  in  the  burning  box  exploded,  a  great  loss  of 
life  might  have  resulted,  as  there  were  at  least  a  score 
of  soldiers  working  in  and  around  the  building. 

At  Madrid  the  Spanish  Minister  of  Marine  issued 
orders  that  every  one  connected  with  the  admiralty 
must  abstain  from  giving  information  of  any  kind 
regarding  naval  affairs. 

General  Blanco  in  Havana  published  an  order  pro- 
hibiting foreign  newspaper  correspondents  from  re- 
maining in  Cuba,  under  the  penalty  of  being  treated 
as  spies. 

June  6.  As  is  told  in  that  chapter  relating  to 
Santiago  de  Cuba,  American  troops  were  landed  a  few 
miles  east  of  the  city,  at  a  place  known  as  Aguadores  ; 
the  forts  at  the  entrance  of  Santiago  Harbour  were 
bombarded. 

The  Navy  Department  made  public  a  cablegram 
from  Admiral  Dewey : 

"  The  insurgents  are  acting  energetically  in  the  prov- 
ince of  Cavite.  During  the  past  week  they  have  won 
several  victories,  and  have  taken  prisoners  about  eight- 
een hundred  men  and  fifty  officers  of  the  Spanish 
troops,  not  natives.  The  arsenal  of  Cavite  is  being 
prepared  for  occupation  by  United  States  troops  on 
the  arrival  of  the  transports." 

Cablegrams    from     Hongkong   announced    that    the 


BY    WIRE.  175 

insurgents  had  cut  the  railway  lines  and  were  closing 
in  on  Manila.  Frequent  actions  between  Aguinaldo's 
forces  and  the  Spaniards  had  taken  place,  and  the 
foreign  residents  were  making  all  haste  to  leave  the 
city.  A  proclamation  issued  by  the  insurgent  chief 
points  to  a  desire  to  set  up  a  native  administration 
in  the  Philippines  under  an  American  protectorate. 
Aguinaldo,  with  an  advisory  council,  would  hold  the 
dictatorship  until  the  conquest  of  the  islands,  and  would 
then  establish  a  republican  assembly. 

June  7.  The  monitor  Monterey  and  the  collier  Bru- 
tus sailed  from  San  Francisco  for  Manila.  The  double- 
turreted  monitor  Monadnock  has  been  ordered  to  set 
out  for  the  same  port  within  ten  days. 

June  p.  The  Spanish  bark  Maria  Dolores,  laden  with 
coal  and  patent  fuel,  was  captured  by  the  cruiser  Min- 
neapolis twelve  miles  off  San  Juan  de  Porto  Rico. 

June  to.  A  battalion  of  marines  was  landed  in 
the  harbour  of  Guantanamo,  forty  miles  east  of 
Santiago.1 

A  blockhouse  at  Daiquiri  shelled  by  the  transport 
steamer  Panther.1 

June  11-12.  Attack  upon  American  marines  in 
Guantanamo  Bay  by  Spanish  regulars  and  guerillas.1 

June  ii.  The  British  steamer  Twickenham,  laden 
with  coal  for  Admiral  Cervera's  fleet,  was  captured  off 
San  Juan  de  Porto  Rico  by  the  U.  S.  S.  St.  Louis. 

June  12.     Major-General  Merritt  issued  orders  to  the 

1  See  Chapter  X. 


176  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

officers  assigned  to  the  second  Philippine  expedition,  to 
the  effect  that  they  must  be  ready  to  embark  their 
troops  not  later  than  the  fifteenth  instant. 

The  following  cablegram  was  made  public  by  the 
Navy  Department  : 

"Cavite,  June  12. — The  insurgents  continue  hos- 
tilities, and  have  practically  surrounded  Manila.  They 
have  taken  twenty-five  hundred  Spanish  prisoners,  whom 
they  treat  most  humanely.  They  do  not  intend  to  attack 
the  city  at  the  present  time. 

"  Twelve  merchant  vessels  are  anchored  in  the  bay, 
with  refugees  on  board,  under  guard  of  neutral  men-of- 
war  ;  this  with  my  permission.  Health  of  the  squad- 
ron continues  excellent.  German  commander-in-chief 
arrived  to-day.  Three  Germans,  two  British,  one 
French,  one  Japanese  man-of-war  in  port.  Another 
German  man-of-war  expected. 

"The  following  is  a  corrected  list  of  vessels  cap- 
tured or  destroyed  :  Two  protected  cruisers,  five  unpro- 
tected cruisers,  one  transport,  one  surveying  vessel, 
both  armed.  The  following  are  captured  :  Transport 

Manila,  gunboat  Callao. 

"  DEWEY." 

Advices  from  Honolulu  report  that  on  June  ist  H. 

Renjes,   vice-consul  for   Spain,   at   Honolulu,  sent  the 

following    letter    to  H.  E.  Cooper,  Hawaiian    Minister 

of  Foreign  Affairs,  relative  to  the  entertainment  of  the 

American  troops  at  Honolulu  : 


BY    WIRE.  177 

"Sir:  —  In  my  capacity  as  vice-consul  for  Spain,  I 
have  the  honour  to-day  to  enter  formal  protest  with 
the  Hawaiian  government  against  the'constant  violation 
of  neutrality  in  this  harbour,  while  actual  war  exists 
between  Spain  and  the  United  States  of  America." 

June  6.  On  June  6th  Minister  Cooper  replied  as 
follows : 

"Sir:  —  In  reply  to  your  note  of  the  first  instant,  I 
have  the  honour  to  say  that,  owing  to  the  intimate  rela- 
tions now  existing  between  this  country  and  the  United 
States,  this  government  has  not  proclaimed  a  procla- 
mation of  neutrality  having  reference  to  the  present 
conflict  between  the  United  States  and  Spain,  but,  on 
the  contrary,  has  tendered  to  the  United  States  privi- 
leges and  assistance,  for  which  reason  your  protest  can 
receive  no  further  consideration  than  to  acknowledge 
its  receipt." 

June  rj.  American  troops  sailed  from  Tampa  and 
Key  West  for  Santiago. 

The  Spaniards  again  attacked  the  American  marines 
at  Guantanamo  Bay,  and  were  repulsed  after  seven 
hours'  hard  fighting.1 

President  McKinley  signed  the  war  revenue  bill. 

Secretary  Gage  issued  a  circular  inviting  subscriptions 
to  the  popular  loan. 

1  See  Chapter  X. 


178  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

The  dynamite  cruiser  Vesuvius  joined  Admiral 
Sampson's  fleet.1 

While  the  U.  S.  S.  Yankee  was  off  Cienfuegos  on 
this  day,  a  Spanish  gunboat  steamed  out  of  the  har- 
bour, evidently  mistaking  the  character  of  the  new- 
comer ;  but  on  learning  that  the  Yankee  was  ready 
for  business,  put  back  in  hot  haste.  Both  vessels 
opened  fire,  and  after  the  gunboat  had  gained  the 
security  of  the  harbour  the  Yankee  engaged  the  east- 
ern and  western  batteries.  During  the  brief  action  a. 
shell  burst  over  the  American  ship,  its  fragments 
wounding  one  man. 

June  14..  The  American  marines  at  Guantanamo 
Bay  again  attacked  by  the  Spaniards.1 

The  heroes  of  Santiago  Bay,  who  sank  the  Merrimac, 
rewarded  by  the  Navy  Department.1 

First  trial  of  the  dynamite  cruiser   Vesuvius.1 

The  war  tax  on  beer,  ale,  tobacco,  cigars,  and  ciga- 
rettes went  into  effect  on  this  date. 

June  14.  From  Manila  on  June  1/j.th  much  of  inter- 
est was  received.  A  severe  engagement  occurred,  when 
one  thousand  insurgents  attacked  twice  that  number  of 
Spaniards,  inflicting  heavy  losses.  The  insurgents  had 
drawn  their  lines  closely  around  the  landward  side  of 
the  city,  and  Captain-General  Augusti  published  a 
decree  ordering  all  the  male  population  under  arms. 
Mr.  E.  W.  Harden,  correspondent  of  the  New  York 
World,  thus  summed  up  the  situation  : 

1  See  Chapter  X. 


BY   WIRE.  179 

"Terrific  fighting  has  been  going  on  for  six  days 
between  the  Philippine  insurgents  and  the  Spaniards. 
The  rebels,  under  Aguinaldo,  more  than  held  their 
ground,  while  the  Spaniards  lost  heavily.  The  insur- 
gents now  hold  three  thousand  prisoners,  mostly 
Spanish  soldiers. 

"  I  have  been  in  the  field  with  the  rebels,  and  I  was 
present  at  the  taking  of  the  garrisoned  church  at  Old 
Cavite,  June  7th,  where  three  hundred  insurgents  cap- 
tured a  superior  force  of  Spaniards  after  an  eight  days' 
bombardment.  The  rebels  are  competent,  courageous 
fighters.  They  have  captured  the  entire  provinces  of 
Cavite  and  Bataan,  and  parts  of  the  provinces  of 
Pampagna,  Bulucan,  and  Manila. 

"Aguinaldo's  troops,  in  three  divisions,  have  now 
surrounded  Manila.  They  have  the  Spaniards  hemmed 
in,  and  could  capture  the  city  if  they  wanted  to,  but 
will  await  the  arrival  of  the  American  troops  before 
doing  so. 

"The  rebels  have  captured  Gov.  Leopoldo  Garcia 
Penas,  of  Cavite  province,  and  Gov.  Antonio  Cardola, 
of  Bataan  province.  Cardola  tried  to  commit  suicide 
before  surrendering.  He  shot  himself  three  times  in 
the  head,  but  will  recover.  The  insurgents  behaved 
gallantly  in  the  fight  for  the  possession  of  the  stone 
convent  in  Old  Cavite,  June  ist.  General  Augusti  sent 
two  thousand  Spanish  regulars  of  the  Manila  force  to 
attack  Aguinaldo's  forces  at  Cavite.  The  fight  lasted 
all  day.  The  Spaniards  were  repulsed,  and  the  officers 


180  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

led  in  retreat.  They  took  refuge  in  the  old  convent,  a 
substantial  building,  with  walls  five  feet  thick,  built  for 
all  time. 

"Aguinaldo  surrounded  the  convent,  and  his  first 
plan  was  to  starve  out  the  beleaguered  ones,  but  he 
found,  June  6th,  that  provisions  were  being  smuggled 
in  to  them,  and  so  he  attacked  the  building,  beginning 
by  opening  fire  with  his  mountain  guns.  Meantime,  Gen- 
eral Augusti,  hearing  of  his  soldiers'  plight,  sent  four 
thousand  regulars  to  relieve  them. 

"  Aguinaldo  led  the  attack  on  these  four  thousand. 
But  after  the  first  brush  he  adopted  another  method. 
He  sent  detachments  of  three  hundred  or  four  hundred 
men,  armed  with  machetes,  on  the  flanks  of  the  Span- 
iards, who  constantly  harassed  them.  In  the  first  attack 
of  these  detachments  one  hundred  and  fifty  Spanish 
soldiers  and  a  lieutenant-colonel  were  killed.  In  the 
second  onslaught  four  officers  and  sixty  men  were 
killed. 

"  Again  and  again  these  attacks  were  repeated  until 
nine  hundred  Spaniards  had  been  killed,  the  insurgents 
report.  The  convent,  too,  became  untenable.  The 
Spaniards  retreated  along  the  road  to  Manila,  but  made 
a  stand  at  Bacoor. 

"  Aguinaldo  and  his  men  fought  them  fiercely  there, 
and  the  Spanish  fled  again.  The  rebels  pursued  the 
enemy  to  within  sight  of  Manila.  Returning,  Agui- 
naldo stormed  the  old  convent,  and  of  the  Spaniards 
who  remained  there  he  killed  ninety  and  captured  250." 


GENERAL    GARCIA. 


BY   WIRE.  l8l 

June  75.  The  second  fleet  of  transports,  comprised 
of  the  steamers  China,  Colon,  Senator,  and  Zealandia, 
carrying  3,465  men,  left  San  Francisco  for  Manila. 

The  war  loan  of  two  hundred  million  dollars  sub- 
scribed for  twice  over. 

Bombardment  of  the  fortifications  in  Guantanamo 
Bay.1 

The  House  of  Representatives  passed  the  Hawaiian 
annexation  resolution. 

June  16.  Third  bombardment  of  the  batteries  near 
Santiago.1 

The  Spanish  forces  in  and  near  Cardenas  had  re- 
paired the  damages  inflicted  by  the  American  vessels 
when  they  bombarded  the  works,  and  on  June  i6th 
another  lesson  was  given  those  who  killed  Ensign  Bag- 
ley  and  his  brave  comrades.  Five  blockhouses  were 
completely  demolished,  the  enemy  beating  a  hasty 
retreat  without  having  fired  a  shot. 

June  ij.  Fortifications  in  Guantanamo  Bay  shelled 
by  American  naval  force.1 

Capture  of  the  Spanish  sloop  Chato  in  Guantanamo 
Bay.1 

June  18.  Bombardment  of  blockhouse  in  Guanta- 
namo Bay.1 

Battery  at  Cabanas  shelled  by  the  U.  S.  S.  Texas.1 

June  19.   First  American  troops  landed  on  Cuban  soil.1 

June  20.     General    Shafter  and    Admiral    Sampson 
visit  General  Garcia  in  his  camp.1 
1  See  Chapter  X. 


fS2  THE    BOYS    OF     98. 

June  21.     Landing  of  General  Shafter's  army  begun.1 

Bombardment  of  all  the  fortifications  near  about  San- 
tiago. ' 

Captain-General  Augusti  cabled  the  Madrid  govern- 
ment that  he,  having  been  forced  to  take  refuge  in  the 
walled  city,2  would  be  unable  to  continue  communica- 
tion. 

June  22.  By  a  decision  of  the  Attorney-General, 
the  United  States  government  will  surrender  to  the 
ambassadors  of  France  and  Germany,  as  the  diplomatic 
representatives  of  Spain,  the  non-combatants  and  crews 
of  the  prize  merchant  vessels  captured  by  ships  of  the 
American  navy  since  the  declaration  of  war. 

Boats'  crews  from  the  U.  S.  S.  Marblehead  and  Dol- 
phin remove  the  mines  from  Guantanamo  Bay.1 

Bombardment  of  the  Socapa  battery  near  Santiago.1 

Spaniards  set  fire  to  the  town  of  Aguadores.1 

The  U.  S.  S.  Texas  engages  the  west  battery  of 
Cabanas.1 

Captain  Sigsbee  of  the  U.  S.  S.  St.  Paul,  in  report- 
ing his  cruise  of  twenty-three  days,  gave  the  following 
account  of  a  meeting  with  the  enemy  off  San  Juan  de 
Porto  Rico  on  the  22d  of  June : 

June  22.  "  We  came  off  the  port  on  the  twenty-second. 
The  weather  was  fair,  the  trade  wind  blowing  fresh 
from  the  eastward  and  raising  somewhat  of  a  sea.  At 
about  12.40  the  third-class  cruiser  Isabel  III.  came  out, 
and,  steaming  under  the  Morro  until  she  was  abreast 

-  See  Chapter  X.       2  See  Appendix  A  for  description  of  Manila. 


BY    WIRE.  183 

of  the  batteries,  commenced  edging  out  toward  us, 
firing  at  such  a  long  range  that  her  shots  were  ineffec- 
tive. 

"  As  her  purpose  evidently  was  to  put  us  within  fire 
of  the  batteries,  we  took  but  little  notice  of  her,  lying 
still  and  occasionally  sending  in  our  largest  shell  at  her 
to  try  the  range. 

"  Soon  afterward  she  dropped  to  the  westward,  and 
the  torpedo-boat  destroyer  Terror,  or  it  may  have  been 
her  sister  ship,  the  Furor,  was  sighted  steaming  along 
shore  under  the  batteries. 

"  We  watched  her  for  awhile,  and  worked  along  with 
her,  in  order  to  separate  her  from  the  cruiser  and  keep 
her  in  trough  if  she  came  for  us.  She  then  circled  to 
get  up  speed,  and  headed  for  us,  firing  straight  as  far 
as  direction  went,  but  her  shots  fell  short. 

"  When  within*  range  of  our  guns,  the  signal  '  com- 
mence firing  '  was  made,  and  for  several  minutes  we  let 
fly  our  starboard  battery  at  her  at  from  fifty-five  hun- 
dred to  six  thousand  yards,  the  shells  striking  all  around 
her. 

"  This  stopped  her.  She  turned  her  broadside  to  us 
and  her  fire  soon  ceased.  She  then  headed  inshore, 
to  the  southward  and  westward,  going  slow,  and  it  was 
evident  to  all  on  board  that  she  was  crippled.  Off 
the  Morro  she  flashed  some  signals  to  the  shore, 
and  afterward  a  tug  came  out  and  towed  her  into  the 
harbour. 

"  All  this  time  the  cruiser  was  firing  at  us,  and  some 


184  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

of  her  shots  and  those  of  the  Terror  fell  pretty  close. 
The  cruiser  followed  the  Terror  back  toward  the  port 
and  soon  afterward  was  joined  by  a  gunboat,  and  the 
two  steamed  under  the  batteries  to  the  eastward ;  but 
when  the  St.  Paul,  making  an  inshore  turn,  seemed  to 
be  going  for  them,  they  returned  to  the  harbour,  and  we 
saw  no  more  of  them." 

June  23.  The  U.  S.  monitor  Monadnock  left  San 
Francisco  for  Manila. 

The  U.  S.  dynamite  cruiser  Vesuvius  again  shells 
the  Santiago  fortifications.1 

June  24.  The  Spanish  Cortes  suspended  by  royal 
decree.  The  Chamber  of  Deputies  adjourned  without 
the  customary  cheers  for  the  throne. 

Major-General  Lawton  advancing  on  Santiago.1 

Action  near  Juragua.1 

June  25.     Skirmish  near  Sevilla. 

The  American  government  protested  a  draft  drawn 
by  its  consul  at  St.  Thomas,  D.  W.  I.,  under  circum- 
stances calculated  to  make  an  extremely  dangerous 
precedent.  The  draft  was  made  by  Consul  Van  Home 
for  thq  purchase  of  twenty-seven  hundred  tons  of  coal, 
which  arrived  in  St.  Thomas  in  the  Ardenrose  about 
the  twenty-eighth  of  May.  The  consul  bought  it  for 
ten  dollars  a  ton  when  the  Spanish  consul  had  offered 
twenty  dollars  a  ton  for  it.  Van  Home  apparently  did 
the  proper  thing  and  did  not  exceed  instructions. 

June  26.       General    Garcia   with    three    thousand 

1  See  Chapter  X. 


BY    WIRE.  185 

Cuban  insurgents  landed  at  Juragua  by  American 
transports.1 

The  troops  comprising  the  third  expedition  to  Manila 
embarked  at  San  Francisco. 

The  sloop  Isabel  arrived  at  Key  West  flying  the 
Cuban  flag.  On  her  were  Capt.  Rafael  Mora,  Lieut. 
Felix  de  los  Rios  and  four  others  of  the  Cuban  army, 
carrying  sealed  dispatches  from  the  Cuban  government 
to  Sefior  T.  Estrada  Palma,  of  the  New  York  junta. 

The  U.  S.  dynamite  cruiser  Vesuvius  shelled  the 
fortifications  at  the  entrance  to  Santiago  harbour.1 

The  water-supply  of  Santiago  cut  off  by  the  Ameri- 
can forces.1 

A  Spanish  fleet  entered  the  harbour  of  Port  Said, 
Egypt,  at  the  head  of  the  Suez  Canal,  on  the  twenty- 
sixth.  It  was  composed  of : 

Battle-ship  Pelayo,  Admiral  Camara's  flag-ship. 

Armoured  cruiser  Emperador  Carlos  V. 

Auxiliary  cruiser  Patriota,  equipped  with  twelve 
guns,  and  carrying  troops  and  marines. 

Auxiliary  cruiser  Buenos  Ayres,  equipped  with  ten 
guns,  and  carrying  stores  and  a  few  troops. 

Torpedo  destroyer  Audaz. 

Armed  merchantman  Is/a  de  Pany,  equipped  with 
two  guns,  and  carrying  stores  and  a  few  troops. 

Auxiliary  cruiser  Rapido,  equipped  with  twelve  guns. 

Steamship  Colon,  unarmed  and  with  no  troops. 

Torpedo  destroyer  Proserpina. 

1  See  Chapter  X. 


1 86  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

Torpedo-boat  destroyer  Osada, 

Transport  Covadonga,  carrying  no  guns. 

Collier  San  Francisco. 

June  2j.  The  United  States  government,  determined 
to  delay,  if  possible,  the  progress  of  the  fleet  toward 
the  Philippines,  instructed  its  consul  to  protest  to  the 
English  government  against  the  coaling  of  the  fleet  at 
Port  Said.  In  response  to  such  protest  the  Egyptian 
government  refused  Admiral  Camara's  request  to  buy 
coal,  and  also  refused  to  allow  him  to  hire  a  hundred 
and  fifty  native  stokers. 

The  U.  S.  transport  Yale,  laden  with  troops,  arrived 
at  Daiquiri.1 

The  President  sent  to  Congress  the  following  mes- 
sages : 

"  To  the  Congress  of  the  United  States :  —  On  the 
morning  of  the  third  of  June,  1898,  Assistant  Naval 
Constructor  Richmond  P.  Hobson,  U.  S.  N.,  with  a 
volunteer  crew  of  seven  men,  in  charge  of  the  partially 
dismantled  collier  Merrimac,  entered  the  fortified 
harbour  of  Santiago,  Cuba,  for  the  purpose  of  sinking 
the  collier  in  the  narrowest  portion  of  the  channel  and 
thus  interposing  a  serious  obstacle  to  the  egress  of 
the  Spanish  fleet,  which  had  recently  entered  that 
harbour. 

"  This  enterprise,  demanding  coolness,  judgment  and 
bravery  amounting  to  heroism,  was  carried  into  success- 

1  See  Chapter  X. 


ADMIRAL   CAMARA. 


BY    WIRE.  187 

ful  execution  in  the  face  of  a  persistent  fire  from  the 
hostile  fleet  as  well  as  from  the  fortifications  on  shore. 
Rear-Admiral  Sampson,  commander-in-chief  of  our 
naval  force  in  Cuban  waters,  in  an  official  report  ad- 
dressed to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  referring  to  Mr. 
Hobson's  gallant  exploit,  says : 

" '  I  decided  to  make  the  harbour  entrance  secure 
against  the  possibility  of  egress  of  the  Spanish  ships 
by  obstructing  the  narrow  part  of  the  entrance,  by 
sinking  a  collier  at  that  point. 

" « Mr.  Hobson,  after  several  days  consideration,  pre- 
sented a  solution  which  he  considered  would  ensure  the 
immediate  sinking  of  the  ship  when  she  had  reached 
the  desired  point  in  the  channel.  The  plan  contem- 
plated a  crew  of  only  seven  men,  and  Mr.  Hobson 
begged  that  it  might  be  entrusted  to  him. 

"  '  I  cannot  myself  too  earnestly  express  my  appre- 
ciation of  the  conduct  of  Mr.  Hobson  and  his  gallant 
crew.  I  venture  to  say  that  a  more  brave  and  daring 
thing  has  not  been  done  since  Gushing  blew  up  the 
Albemarle.' 

"The  members  of  the  crew  who  were  with  Mr. 
Hobson  on  the  memorable  occasion  have  already  been 
rewarded  for  their  services  by  advancement,  which, 
under  the  provisions  of  law  and  regulation,  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Navy  was  authorised  to  make ;  and  the 
nomination  to  the  Senate  of  Naval  Cadet  Powell,  who, 
in  a  steam  launch,  followed  the  Merrimac  on  her 
perilous  trip,  for  the  purpose  of  rescuing  her  force 


1 88  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

after  the  sinking  of  that  vessel,  to  be  advanced  in  rank 
to  the  grade  of  ensign,  has  been  prepared  and  will  be 
submitted. 

"  Gushing,  with  whose  gallant  act  in  blowing  up  the 
Albemarle,  during  the  civil  war,  Admiral  Sampson  com- 
pares Mr.  Hobson's  sinking  of  the  Merrimac,  received 
the  thanks  of  Congress  upon  recommendation  of  the 
President,  by  name,  and  was  in  consequence,  under 
the  provisions  of  Section  1,508  of  the  Revised  Statutes, 
advanced  one  grade,  such  advancement  embracing  fifty- 
six  numbers.  The  section  cited  applies,  however,  to 
line  officers  only,  and  Mr.  Hobson,  being  a  member  of 
the  staff  of  the  navy,  could  not,  under  the  provisions,  be 
so  advanced. 

"In  considering  the.  question  of  suitably  rewarding 
Assistant  Naval  Constructor  Hobson  for  his  valiant 
conduct  on  the  occasion  referred  to,  I  have  deemed  it 
proper  to  address  this  message  to  you  with  the  recom- 
mendation that  he  receive  the  thanks  of  Congress,  and 
further  that  he  be  transferred  to  the  line  of  the  navy 
and  promoted  to  such  position  therein  as  the  President, 
by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate,  may 
determine. 

"  Mr.  Hobson's  transfer  from  the  construction  corps 
to  the  line  is  fully  warranted,  he  having  received  the 
necessary  technical  training  as  a  graduate  of  the  naval 
academy,  where  he  stood  number  one  in  his  class,  and 
such  action  is  recommended  partly  in  deference  to 
what  is  understood  to  be  his  own  desire,  although,  he 


BY   WIRE.  189 

being  a  prisoner  now  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  no 
direct  communication  on  the  subject  has  been  received 
from  him,  and  partly  for  the  reason  that  the  abilities 
displayed  by  him  at  Santiago  are  of  such  a  character 
as  to  indicate  especial  fitness  for  the  duties  of  the  line. 

"  WILLIAM  McKiNLEY. 
"Executive  Mansion,  June  27" 

The  second  message  was  as  follows  : 

"  To  the  Congress  of  the  United  States :  —  On  the 
eleventh  day  of  May,  1898,  there  occurred  a  conflict 
in  the  bay  of  Cardenas,  Cuba,  in  which  the  naval 
torpedo-boat  Winslow  was  disabled,  her  commander 
wounded,  and  one  of  her  officers  and  a  part  of  her 
crew  killed  by  the  enemy's  fire. 

"  In  the  face  of  a  most  galling  fire  from  the  enemy's 
guns  the  revenue  cutter  Hudson,  commanded  by  First 
Lieut.  Frank  H.  Newcomb,  U.  S.  Revenue  Cutter  Ser- 
vice, rescued  the  disabled  Winslow  and  her  wounded 
crew.  The  commander  of  the  Hudson  kept  his  vessel 
in  the  very  hottest  fire  of  the  action,  although  in  con- 
stant danger  of  going  ashore  on  account  of  the  shallow 
water,  until  he  finally  got  a  line  made  fast  to  the  Wins- 
low,  and  towed  that  vessel  out  of  range  of  the  enemy's 
guns,  a  deed  of  special  gallantry. 

"  I  recommend  that,  in  recognition  of  the  signal  act 
of  heroism  of  First  Lieut.  Frank  H.  Newcomb,  U.  S. 
Revenue  Cutter  Service,  above  set  forth,  the  thanks  of 


190  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

Congress  be  extended  to  him  and  to  his  officers  and 
men  of  the  Hudson,  and  that  a  gold  medal  of  honour 
be  presented  to  Lieutenant  Newcomb,  a  silver  medal 
of  honour  to  each  of  his  officers,  and  a  bronze  medal  of 
honour  to  each  member  of  his  crew  who  served  with 
him  at  Cardenas. 

(Signed)         "  WILLIAM  McKiNLEY." 

The  President  also  sent  the  following  special  nomina- 
tion to  Congress  : 

"  EXECUTIVE  MANSION,  WASHINGTON,  June  27,  1898. 
"  To  the  Senate  of  the  United  States : —  I  nominate 
Naval  Cadet  Joseph  W.  Powell  to  be  advanced  two  num- 
bers under  the  provisions  of  section  1,506  of  the  Revised 
Statutes,  and  to  be  an  ensign  in  the  navy,  for  extraor- 
dinary heroism  while  in  charge  of  the  steam  launch 
which  accompanied  the  collier  Merrimac,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  rescuing  her  gallant  force  when  that  vessel  was, 
under  the  command  of  Naval  Constructor  Hobson,  rim 
into  the  mouth  of  the  harbour  of  Santiago,  Cuba,  on 
the  third  instant,  and  dexterously  sunk  in  the  channel. 
(Signed)  "  WILLIAM  McKiNLEY." 

June  2j.  The  third  fleet  of  vessels,  laden  with 
soldiers,  sailed  from  San  Francisco  for  the  Philippines. 

From  London  the  following  news  was  received  from 
the  Canary  Islands  : 

Most  of  the  new  forts  have  guns  mounted,  but  are 


BY    WIRE.  191 

still  quite  exposed  to  view.  The  earthworks  are  not 
nearly  completed.  It  is  reported  that  ten  thousand 
more  soldiers  are  on  the  way  from  Spain.  Of  these 
five  thousand  are  for  the  Grand  Canary,  and  the 
others  are  for  Teneriffe.  The  Spanish  government  is 
determined  to  hold  the  islands  at  any  cost. 

Nearly  all  business  is  absolutely  at  a  standstill,  and 
many  of  the  sugar  mills  are  closed.  If  this  state  of 
uncertainty  continues  much  longer  it  will  mean  star- 
vation to  the  working  classes.  All  lights  that  can  be 
seen  from  the  sea  are  ordered  extinguished  at  night, 
though  the  lighthouse  on  Isletta  is  still  lighted. 

The  U.  S.  S.  Yankee,  off  the  Isle  of  Pines,  captured 
and  destroyed  the  Spanish  sloops  Nemesia,  of  Batabano, 
Amistad  and  Manuelita,  of  Coloma,  and  the  pilot-boats 
Luz  and  Jacinto. 

June  28.  The  President  issued  a  proclamation 
extending  the  blockade  of  Cuba  to  the  southern 
coast,  from  Cape  Frances  to  Cape  Cruz,  inclusive, 
and  also  blockading  San  Juan,  Porto  Rico. 

The  proclamation  was  as  follows  : 

"  Whereas,  for  the  reasons  set  forth  in  my  proclama- 
tion of  April  22,  1898,  a  blockade  of  ports  on  the 
northern  coast  of  Cuba,  from  Cardenas  to  Bahia  Honda, 
inclusive,  and  of  the  port  of  Cienfuegos,  on  the  south 
coast  of  Cuba,  was  declared  to  have  been  instituted,  and 

"  Whereas,  it  has  become  desirable  to  extend  the 
blockade  to  other  southern  ports, 

"  Now,  therefore,  I,  William  McKinley,  President  of 


1 92  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

the  United  States,  do  hereby  declare  and  proclaim  that, 
in  addition  to  the  blockade  of  the  ports  specified  in  my 
proclamation  of  April  22,  1898,  the  United  States  of 
America  has  instituted  and  will  maintain  an  effective 
blockade  of  all  of  the  ports  on  the  south  coast  of  Cuba, 
from  Cape  Frances  to  Cape  Cruz,  inclusive,  and  also  of 
the  port  of  San  Juan  in  the  island  of  Porto  Rico. 

"  Neutral  vessels  lying  in  any  of  the  ports  to  which 
the  blockade  is  by  the  present  proclamation  extended, 
will  be  allowed  thirty  days  to  issue  therefrom  with 
cargo." 

The  Spanish  cruiser  Antonio  Lopes,  while  trying  to 
enter  the  river  San  Juan,  near  San  Juan  de  Porto  Rico, 
secretly,  with  a  cargo  of  provisions  and  war  material, 
was  detected  by  two  American  war-ships,  but  escaped 
by  swiftly  changing  her  course.  Her  captain,  deter- 
mined to  land  his  cargo,  headed  for  the  shore  at 
Salinas.  The  shock  of  grounding  exploded  the  boiler. 
The  Spanish  gunboats  Concha  and  Isabella  issued  to  the 
assistance  of  the  Antonio  Lopez,  whereupon  the  Ameri- 
cans withdrew,  and  the  Antonio  Lopez  landed  her 
cargo. 

Captain-General  Augusti  sent  the  following  by  cable 
from  Manila  to  the  government  at  Madrid  : 

"  The  situation  is  still  as  grave.  I  continue  to  main- 
tain my  position  inside  the  line  of  blockhouses,  but  the 
enemy  is  increasing  in  numbers,  as  the  rebels  occupy 
the  provinces,  which  are  surrendering.  Torrential  rains 
are  inundating  the  entrenchments,  rendering  the  work 


GENERAL   AUGUSTI. 


BY    WIRE.  193 

of  defence  difficult.  The  number  of  sick  among  the 
troops  is  increasing,  making  the  situation  very  dis- 
tressing, and  causing  increased  desertions  of  the  native 
soldiers. 

"It  is  estimated  that  the  insurgents  number  thirty 
thousand  armed  with  rifles,  and  one  hundred  thousand 
armed  with  swords,  etc. 

"Aguinaldo  has  summoned  me  to  surrender,  but  I 
have  treated  his  proposals  with  disdain,  for  I  am 
resolved  to  maintain  the  sovereignty  of  Spain  and  the 
honour  of  the  flag  to  the  last  extremity. 

"  I  have  more  than  one  thousand  sick  and  two  hun- 
dred wounded.  The  citadel  has  been  invaded  by  the 
suburban  inhabitants,  who  have  abandoned  their  homes, 
owing  to  the  barbarity  of  the  rebels.  These  inhabi- 
tants constitute  an  embarrassment,  aggravating  the 
situation,  in  view  of  a  bombardment,  which,  however, 
is  not  seriously  apprehended  for  the  moment." 

The  captain-general's  family  was  made  prisoners  by 
the  insurgents  several  days  prior  to  the  sending  of  this 
despatch,  and  all  efforts  to  effect  their  release  had  thus 
far  been  in  vain. 

From  all  parts  of  the  world  the  Spanish  people, 
during  the  last  days  of  June,  looked  toward  Santiago 
de  Cuba,  in  whose  harbour  was  imprisoned  Cervera's 
fleet,  for  there  only  could  they  hope  to  resist  the 
American  arms. 


CHAPTER  X. 

SANTIAGO    DE    CUBA. 

r  I  "HE  campaign  of  Santiago,  during  which  the  Span- 
•*-  ish  fleet  under  Admiral  Cervera  was  entirely  de- 
stroyed, and  which  ended  with  the  capture  of  the  city, 
can  best  be  told  as  a  continuous  story.  The  record 
of  other  events  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  regular 
order. 

Even  though  a  repetition,  it  should  be  set  down  that 
the  North  Atlantic  fleet,  Rear-Admiral  W.  T.  Samp- 
son commanding,  with  Commodores  J.  C.  Watson  and 
W.  S.  Schley  of  the  first  and  second  squadrons  respec- 
tively, which  blockaded  the  port  of  Santiago,  consisted 
of  the  battle-ships  Massachusetts,  Io^va,  Texas,  Indiana, 
Oregon;  armored  cruisers  New  York,  Admiral  Samp- 
son's flag-ship,  Brooklyn,  Commodore  Schley's  flag-ship  ; 
protected  cruisers  New  Orleans,  Newark,  Commodore 
Watson's  flag-ship  ;  converted  yachts  Vixen,  Gloucester? 
Inside  the  harbour,  caught  like  rats  in  a  trap  of 
their  own  making,  lay  the  Spanish  fleet  under  command 
of  Admiral  Pasquale  Cervera,  consisting  of  the  armoured 
cruisers  Cristobal  Colon,  Vizcaya,  Almirante  Oquendo, 

1  For  types  of  war-ships  see  Appendix  B. 
194 


SANTIAGO    DE    CUBA.  195 

Maria   Teresa,  Admiral   Cervera's   flag-ship ;  torpedo- 
boat  destroyers  Furor  and  Pluton. 

The  Americans  were  on  the  alert,  lest  by  some  inad- 
vertence their  prey  should  escape,  and  it  may  well  be 
supposed  that  the  Spaniards,  knowing  full  well  they 
were  not  in  sufficient  strength  to  give  battle,  awaited  a 
favourable  opportunity  to  slip  through  the  blockading 
squadron. 

June  2.  The  first  detachment  of  troops,  including 
heavy  and  light  artillery  and  the  engineer  corps,  em- 
barked for  Santiago  on  the  second  of  June.  Four  days 
later  this  force  was  landed  at  Aguadores,  a  few  miles 
east  of  Santiago,  under  the  cover  of  Admiral  Sampson's 
guns. 

June  6.  The  American  fleet  began  the  bombard- 
ment of  the  batteries  guarding  the  entrance  to  the  har- 
bour at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  having  steamed  in 
to  within  three  thousand  yards  of  the  shore,  the  Brook- 
lyn in  advance  of  the  first  column,  with  the  Marble- 
head,  the  Texas,  and  the  Massachusetts  in  line.  The 
second  column  was  led  by  the  New  York,  with  the  New 
Orleans,  Yankee,  Iowa,  and  Oregon  in  the  order  named. 
On  the  left  flank  were  the  Vixen  and  the  Suwanee,  and 
on  the  right  the  Dolphin  and  the  Porter  kept  watchful 
eyes  upon  the  riflemen  ashore.  The  first  column  took 
station  opposite  the  Estrella  and  Catalina  batteries,1 
while  the  second  was  stationed  off  the  new  earthworks 
near  Morro  Castle.  Orders  had  been  given  that  no 

1  See  Appendix  C  for  description  of  Santiago  Harbour. 


196  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

shots  should  be  thrown  into  El  Morro,  because  of  the 
fact  that  Lieutenant  Hobson  and  his  crew  were  impris- 
oned there. 

The  fleet  continued  the  bombardment  without  mov- 
ing from  the  stations  originally  taken.  It  was  the  Iowa 
which  opened  the  action  with  a  12-inch  shell,  and 
the  skill  of  the  gunners  was  shown  by  the  shower  of 
stone  which  spouted  up  from  the  base  of  the  Estrella 
battery.  As  if  this  shot  was  the  signal  agreed  upon, 
the  other  vessels  of  the  fleet  opened  fire,  the  enemy 
answering  promptly  but  ineffectively. 

Very  quickly  were  the  shore-batteries  silenced  by  the 
Brooklyn  and  the  Texas.  Estrella  Fort  was  soon  on 
fire ;  the  Catalina  battery  gave  up  the  struggle  in  less 
than  an  hour,  and  the  Vixen  and  Snwanee  engaged 
with  some  light  inshore  works,  speedily  reducing  them 
to  ruins.  Until  nine  o'clock  the  bombardment  contin- 
ued without  interruption,  and  then  the  American  fire 
ceased  until  the  ships  could  be  turned,  in  order  that 
their  port  batteries  might  be  brought  into  play. 

One  hour  more,  that  is  to  say,  until  ten  o'clock,  this 
terrible  rain  of  iron  was  sent  from  the  fleet  to  the 
shore,  and  then  on  the  flag-ship  was  hoisted  the  signal : 
"  Cease  firing." 

The  American  fleet  withdrew  absolutely  uninjured, — 
not  a  ship  had  been  hit  by  the  Spaniards  nor  a  man 
wounded. 

On  board  the  Spanish  ship  Reina  Mercedes,  a  lieuten- 
ant and  five  seamen  had  been  killed,  and  seventeen 


SANTIAGO    DE    CUBA.  197 

wounded ;  the  vessel  was  set  on  fire  no  less  than  three 
times,  and  otherwise  seriously  damaged  by  the  missiles. 
Near  about  Morro  Castle,  although  none  of  the  Ameri- 
can guns  were  aimed  at  that  structure,  two  were  killed 
and  four  wounded,  while  on  Smith  Cay  great  havoc  was 
wrought. 

Admiral  Cervera  made  the  following  report  to  his 
government : 

"  Six  American  vessels  have  bombarded  the  fortifica- 
tions at  Santiago  and  along  the  adjacent  coast. 

"Six  were  killed  and  seventeen  were  wounded  on 
board  the  Reina  Mercedes ;  three  officers  were  killed 
and  an  officer  and  seventeen  men  were  wounded  among 
the  troops. 

"  The  Americans  fired  fifteen  hundred  shells  of  dif- 
ferent calibres.  The  damage  inflicted  upon  the  batter- 
ies of  La  Socapa  and  Morro  Castle  were  unimportant. 
The  barracks  at  Morro  Castle  suffered  damage. 

"The  enemy  had  noticeable  losses." 

June  8.  Nearly,  if  not  quite,  twenty-seven  thousand 
men  were  embarked  at  Tampa  for  Santiago  on  the 
eighth  of  June,  under  the  command  of  Maj.-Gen. 
William  R.  Shafter. 

Fire  was  opened  by  the  Marblehead  and  the  Yankee 
of  the  blockading  squadron  upon  the  fortifications  of 
Camianera,  a  port  on  Cumberland  Harbour  fifteen  miles 
distant  from  Guantanamo.  The  enemy  was  forced  to 
retire  to  the  town,  but  no  great  injury  was  inflicted. 

The  Vixen  entered  Santiago  Harbour  under  a  flag  of 


198  THE    BOYS    OF     98. 

truce  from  Admiral  Sampson,  to  arrange  for  an  ex- 
change of  Lieutenant  Hobson  and  his  men.  Admiral 
Cervera  said  in  reply  that  the  matter  had  been  referred 
to  General  Blanco. 

The  Suwanee  landed  weapons,  ammunition,  and  pro- 
visions for  the  insurgents  at  a  point  fifteen  miles  west 
of  Santiago. 

In  Santiago  were  about  twenty  thousand  Spanish 
soldiers,  mostly  infantry  ;  but  with  cavalry  and  artillery 
that  may  be  drawn  from  the  surrounding  country.  On 
the  mountains  five  thousand  insurgents,  many  unarmed, 
watched  for  a  favourable  opportunity  to  make  a  descent 
upon  the  city. 

Orders  were  sent  by  the  Navy  Department  to  Ad 
miral  Sampson  to  notify  Admiral  Cervera  that,  if  the 
latter  destroyed  his  four  armoured  cruisers  and  two 
torpedo-boat  destroyers  to  prevent  their  capture,  Spain, 
at  the  end  of  the  war,  would  be  made  to  pay  an  addi- 
tional indemnity  at  least  equivalent  to  the  value  of 
these  vessels. 

June  10.  The  American  troops  made  a  landing  on 
the  eastern  side  of  Guantanamo  Harbour,  forty  miles 
east  of  Santiago,  at  two  p.  M.  on  the  tenth  of  June.  The 
debarkation  was  effected  under  the  cover  of  the  guns 
of  the  Oregon,  Marblehead,  Dolphin,  and  Vixen. 

The  war-vessels  prepared  the  way  by  opening  fire 
on  the  earthworks  which  lined  the  shore,  a  blockhouse, 
and  a  cable  station  which  was  occupied  by  Spanish 
soldiers.  The  defence  was  feeble  ;  the  enemy  retreated 


SANTIAGO    DE    CUBA.  199 

in  hot  haste  after  firing  a  few  shots.  A  small  gunboat 
came  down  from  Guantanamo,  four  miles  away,  at  the 
beginning  of  the  bombardment,  but  she  put  back  with 
all  speed  after  having  approached  within  range. 

•Soon  after  the  enemy  had  been  driven  away,  the 
steamer  Panther  arrived  with  a  battalion  of  marines 
under  command  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Huntington. 
She  reported  having  shelled  a  blockhouse  at  Daiquiri, 
ten  miles  east  of  Santiago,  but  without  provoking  any 
reply. 

Colonel  Huntington's  force  took  possession  of  the 
heights  overlooking  the  bay,  where  was  a  fortified 
camp  which  had  been  abandoned  by  the  Spaniards. 
There  was  nothing  to  betoken  the  presence  of  the 
enemy  in  strong  numbers,  and  the  men  soon  settled 
down  to  ordinary  camp  duties,  believing  their  first 
serious  work  would  be  begun  by  an  attack  on  Guanta- 
namo. 

June  ii.  It  was  three  o'clock  on  Saturday  after- 
noon ;  Colonel  Huntington's  marines  were  disposed 
about  the  camp  according  to  duty  or  fancy ;  some 
were  bathing,  and  a  detail  was  engaged  in  the  work  of 
carrying  water.  Suddenly  the  sharp  report  of  a  mus- 
ket was  heard,  followed  by  another  and  another  until 
the  rattle  of  firearms  told  that  a  skirmish  of  consider- 
able importance  was  in  progress  on  the  picket-line. 

The  principal  portion  of  the  enemy's  fire  appeared 
to  come  from  a  small  island  about  a  thousand  yards 
away,  and  a  squad  of  men  was  detailed  with  a  3-inch 


2OO  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

field-gun  to  look  out  for  the  enemy  in  this  direction, 
while  the  main  force  defended  the  camp. 

After  perhaps  an  hour  had  passed,  during  which  time 
the  boys  of  '98  were  virtually  firing  at  random,  the 
men  on  the  picket-line  fell  back  on  the  camp.  Two«of 
their  number  were  missing.  The  battalion  was  formed 
on  three  sides  of  a  hollow  square,  and  stood  ready  to 
resist  an  attack  which  was  not  to  be  made  until 
considerably  later. 

The  firing  ceased  as  abruptly  as  it  had  begun.  Skir- 
mishers were  sent  out  and  failed  to  find  anything  save 
a  broad  trail,  marked  here  and  there  by  blood,  which 
came  to  an  end  at  the  water's  edge. 

There  were  no  longer  detonations  to  be  heard  from 
the  island.  The  3-inch  gun  had  been  well  served. 

The  skirmishers  which  had  been  sent  out  returned, 
bearing  the  bodies  of  two  boys  in  blue  who  had  been 
killed  by  the  first  shots,  and,  after  death,  mutilated  by 
blows  from  Spanish  machetes. 

Night  came  ;  heavy  clouds  hung  low  in  the  sky  ;  the 
force  of  the  wind  had  increased  almost  to  a  gale ;  below 
in  the  bay  the  war-ships  were  anchored,  their  search- 
lights streaming  out  here  and  there  like  ribbons  of  gold 
on  a  pall  of  black  velvet. 

No  signs  of  the  enemy  on  land  or  sea,  and,  save  for 
those  two  cold,  lifeless  forms  on  the  heights,  one  might 
have  believed  the  previous  rattle  of  musketry  had  been 
heard  only  by  the  imagination. 

Until  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  the  occupants  of 


SANTIAGO    DE    CUBA.  2OI 

the  camp  kept  careful  watch,  and  then  without  warning, 
as  before,  the  crack  of  repeating  rifles  broke  the  almost 
painful  stillness. 

The  enemy  was  making  his  presence  known  once 
more,  and  this  time  it  became  evident  he  was  in 
larger  force. 

Another  3-inch  gun  was  brought  into  play ;  a  launch 
from  the  Marblelieadt  with  a  Colt  machine  gun  in 
her  bow,  steamed  swiftly  shoreward  and  opened  fire ; 
skirmish  lines  were  thrown  out  through  the  tangle  of 
foliage,  and  only  when  a  dark  form  was  seen,  which 
might  have  been  that  of  a  Spaniard,  or  only  the  swaying 
branches  of  the  trees,  did  the  boys  in  blue  have  a 
target. 

It  was  guerrilla  warfare,  and  well -calculated  to  test 
the  nerves  of  the  young  soldiers  who  were  receiving 
their  "baptism  of  blood." 

Until  midnight  this  random  firing  continued,  and 
then  a  large  body  of  Spanish  troops  charged  up  the  hill 
until  they  were  face  to  face  with  the  defenders  of  the 
camp,  when  they  retreated,  being  lost  to  view  almost 
immediately  in  the  blackness  of  the  night. 

June  12.  Again  and  again  the  firing  was  renewed 
from  this  quarter  or  that,  but  the  enemy  did  not  show 
himself  until  the  morning  came  like  a  flash  of  light,  as 
it  does  in  the  tropics,  disclosing  scurrying  bands  of 
Spanish  soldiers  as  they  sought  shelter  in  the  thicket. 

Now  more  guns  were  brought  into  play  at  the  camp ; 
the  war-ships  began  shelling  the  shore,  and  the  action 


2O2  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

was  speedily  brought  to  an  end.     Four  Americans  had 
been  killed,  and  among  them  one  of  the  surgeons. 

At  intervals  during  the  day  the  crack  of  a  rifle  would 
tell  that  Spanish  sharpshooters  were  hovering  around 
the  camp ;  but  not  until  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening 
did  the  enemy  approach  in  any  great  numbers. 

Then  the  battle  was  on  once  more  ;  again  did  the 
little  band  of  bluejackets  stand  to  their  posts,  fighting 
against  an  unseen  foe.  Again  the  war-ships  flashed 
their  search-lights  and  sent  shell  after  shell  into  the 
thicket,  and  all  the  while  the  Spanish  fire  was  continued 
with  deadly  effect. 

Lieutenants  Neville  and  Shaw,  each  with  a  squad  of 
ten  men,  were  sent  out  to  dislodge  the  advance  line 
of  the  enemy,  and  as  the  boys  in  blue  swung  around 
into  the  thicket  with  a  steady,  swinging  stride,  the 
Spaniards  gave  way,  firing  rapidly  while  so  doing. 

The  Americans,  heeding  not  the  danger,  pursued, 
following  the  foe  nearly  to  a  small  stone  house  near 
the  coast,  which  had  been  used  as  a  fort.  They  were 
well  up  to  this  structure  when  the  bullets  rained  upon 
them  in  every  direction  from  out  the  darkness.  Ser- 
geant Goode  fell  fatally  wounded,  and  the  Spaniards 
charged,  forcing  the  Americans  to  the  very  edge  of  a 
cliff,  over  which  one  man  fell  and  was  killed  ;  another 
fell,  but  with  no  further  injury  than  a  broken  leg.  A 
third  was  shot  through  the  arm,  after  which  he  and  the 
man  with  the  broken  limb  joined  forces,  fighting  on 
their  own  account.  One  more  was  wounded,  and  then 


SANTIAGO    DE    CUBA.  2O3 

the  Americans  made  a  desperate  charge,  forcing  the 
enemy  back  into  the  stone  house,  and  then  out  again, 
after  fifteen  had  been  killed. 

Meanwhile  severe  fighting  was  going  on  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  the  camp  ;  but  six  field-pieces  were  brought  up, 
and  the  second  battle  was  ended  after  two  Americans 
had  been  killed  and  seven  wounded. 

June  fj.  The  camp  was  moved  to  a  less  exposed 
position,  while  the  war-ships  poured  shell  and  shrapnel 
into  the  woods,  and  then  the  marines  filed  solemnly  out 
to  a  portion  of  the  hill  overlooking  the  bay  where  were 
six  newly  made  graves. 

All  the  marines  could  not  attend  the  funeral,  many 
having  to  continue  the  work  of  moving  camp,  or  to  rest 
on  their  guns,  keeping  a  constant  watch  for  the  lurk- 
ing Spaniards  ;  but  all  who  could  do  so  followed  the 
stumbling  bearers  of  the  dead  over  the  loose  gravel, 
and  grouped  themselves  about  the  graves. 

The  stretcher  bearing  the  bodies  had  just  been  lifted 
to  its  place,  and  Chaplain  Jones  of  the  Texas  was 
about  to  begin  the  reading  of  the  burial  service,  when 
the  Spaniards  began  shooting  at  the  party  from  the 
western  chaparral. 

"  Fall  in,  Company  A,  Company  B,  Company  C,  fall 
in!" 

"  Fall  in !  "  was  the  word  from  one  end  of  the  camp 
to  the  other.  The  graves  were  deserted  by  all  save 
the  chaplain  and  escort,  who  still  stood  unmoved. 

The  men  sprang  to  arms,  and  then  placed  themselves 


2O4  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

behind  the  rolled  tents,  their  knapsacks,  the  bushes  in 
the  hollows,  boxes  and  piles  of  stones,  their  rifles 
ready,  their  eyes  strained  into  the  brush. 

Howitzers  roared,  blue  smoke  arose  where  the  shells 
struck  and  burst  in  the  chaparral,  and  rifles  sounded 
angrily. 

The  Texas  fired  seven  shots  at  the  place /from  which 
the  shooting  came,  and  the  Spaniards,  as  usual,  fled 
out  of  sight. 

The  funeral  services  had  hardly  been  resumed  when 
there  was  another  attack ;  but  this  time  the  pits  near 
the  old  blockhouse  got  the  range  of  the  malignant  marks- 
men and  shattered  them  with  a  few  shots.  The  Texas 
and  Panther  shelled  the  brush  to  the  eastward,  but  the 
chaplain  kept  right  on  with  the  service,  and  from  that 
time  until  night  there  was  little  shooting  from  the 
cover. 

On  this  day  the  dynamite  cruiser  Vesuvius  joined 
Admiral  Sampson's  fleet,  and  the  weary  marines,  hold- 
ing their  posts  on  shore  against  overwhelming  odds, 
hoped  that  her  arrival  betokened  the  speedy  coming  of 
the  soldiers  who  were  so  sadly  needed. 

June  14.  Substantial  recognition  was  given  by  the 
Navy  Department  to  the  members  of  the  gallant 
crew  who  took  the  Merrimac  into  the  entrance  of 
Santiago  Harbour  and  sunk  her  across  the  channel 
under  the  very  muzzles  of  the  Spanish  guns. 

The  orders  sent  to  Admiral  Sampson  directed  the 
promotion  of  the  men  as  follows  : 


SANTIAGO    DE    CUBA.  205 

Daniel  Montague,  master-at-arms,  to  be  a  boatswain, 
from  fifty  dollars  a  month  to  thirteen  hundred  dollars 
a  year. 

George  Charette,  gunner's  mate,  to  be  a  gunner, 
from  fifty  dollars  a  month  to  thirteen  hundred  dollars  a 
year. 

Rudolph  Clausen,  Osborne  Deignan,  and  -  —  Mur- 
phy, coxswains,  to  be  chief  boatswain's  mates,  an  in- 
crease of  twenty  dollars  a  month. 

George  F.  Phillips,  machinist,  from  forty  dollars  a 
month  to  seventy  dollars  a  month. 

Francis  Kelly,  water  tender,  to  be  chief  machinist, 
from  thirty-seven  dollars  a  month  to  seventy  dollars 
a  month. 

Lieutenant  Hobson's  reward  would  come  through 
Congress. 

While  a  grateful  people  were  discussing  the  manner 
in  which  their  heroes  should  be  crowned,  that  little 
band  of  marines  on  the  shore  of  Guantanamo  Bay, 
worn  almost  to  exhaustion  by  the  harassing  fire  of  the 
enemy  during  seventy-two  hours,  was  once  more  bat- 
tling against  a  vastly  superior  force  in  point  of 
numbers. 

From  the  afternoon  of  the  eleventh  of  June  until 
this  morning  of  the  fourteenth,  the  Americans  had 
remained  on  the  defensive,  —  seven  hundred  against 
two  thousand  or  more.  Now,  however,  different  tactics 
were  to  be  used.  Colonel  Huntington  had  decided 
that  it  was  time  to  turn  the  tables,  and  before  the  night 


2O6  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

was  come  the  occupants  of  the  graves  on  the  crest  of 
the  hill  had  been  avenged. 

A  scouting  party,  made  up  of  nine  officers,  two 
hundred  and  eighty  marines,  and  forty-one  Cubans,  was 
divided  into  four  divisions,  the  first  of  which  had 
orders  to  destroy  a  water-tank  from  which  the  enemy 
drew  supplies.  The  second  was  to  attack  the  Spanish 
camp  beyond  the  first  range  of  hills.  The  third  had 
for  its  objective  point  a  signal-station  from  which  in- 
formation as  to  the  movements  of  the  American  fleet 
had  been  flashed  into  Santiago.  The  fourth  division 
was  to  act  as  the  reserve. 

In  half  an  hour  from  the  time  of  leaving  camp  the 
signal-station  was  in  the  hands  of  the  Americans,  and 
the  heliograph  outfit  lost  to  the  enemy.  The  boys  of 
'98  had  suffered  no  loss,  while  eight  Spaniards  lay  with 
faces  upturned  to  the  rays  of  the  burning  sun. 

At  noon  the  Spanish  camp  had  been  taken,  with  a 
loss  of  two  Cubans  killed,  one  American  and  four 
Cubans  wounded.  Twenty-three  Spaniards  were  dead. 

The  water-tank  was  destroyed,  and  the  enemy,  panic- 
stricken,  was  fleeing  here  and  there,  yet  further  har- 
assed by  a  heavy  fire  from  the  Dolphin,  who  sent  her 
shells  among  the  fugitives  whenever  they  came  in  view. 

When  the  day  drew  near  its  close,  and  the  weary  but 
triumphant  marines  returned  to  camp,  a  hundred  of 
the  enemy  lay  out  on  the  hills  dead ;  more  than  twice 
that  number  must  have  been  wounded,  and  eighteen 
were  being  brought  in  as  prisoners. 


SANTIAGO    DE    CUBA.  2O7 

On  this  night  of  June  I4th,  at  the  entrance  to 
Santiago  Harbour,  the  dynamite  cruiser  Vesuvius  — 
that  experimental  engine  of  destruction  —  was  given 
a  test  in  actual  warfare,  and  the  result  is  thus 
graphically  pictured  by  a  correspondent  of  the  New 
York  Herald: 

"  Three  shells,  each  containing  two  hundred  pounds 
of  guncotton,  were  fired  last  night  from  the  dynamite 
guns  of  the  Vesuvius  at  the  hill  at  the  western  entrance 
to  Santiago  Harbour,  on  which  there  is  a  fort. 

"  The  frightful  execution  done  by  those  three  shots 
will  be  historic. 

"  Guns  in  that  fort  had  not  been  silenced  when  the 
fleet  drew  off  after  the  attack  that  followed  the  dis- 
covery of  the  presence  of  the  Spanish  fleet  in  the 
harbour. 

"  In  the  intense  darkness  of  last  night  the  Vesu- 
vius steamed  into  close  range  and  let  go  one  of  her 
mysterious  missiles. 

"  There  was  no  flash,  no  smoke.  There  was  no  noise 
at  first.  The  pneumatic  guns  on  the  little  cruiser  did 
their  work  silently.  It  was  only  when  they  felt  the 
shock  that  the  men  on  the  other  war-ships  knew 
the  Vesuvius  was  in  action. 

"  A  few  seconds  after  the  gun  was  fired  there  was 
a  frightful  convulsion  on  the  land.  On  the  hill,  where 
the  Spanish  guns  had  withstood  the  missiles  of  the 
ordinary  ships  of  war,  tons  of  rock  and  soil  leaped  in 
air.  The  land  was  smitten  as  by  an  earthquake. 


2O8  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

"Terrible  echoes  rolled  around  through  the  shaken 
hills  and  mountains.  Sampson's  ships,  far  out  at  sea, 
trembled  with  the  awful  shock.  Dust  rose  to  the 
clouds  and  hid  the  scene  of  destruction. 

"  Then  came  a  long  silence ;  next  another  frightful 
upheaval,  and  following  it  a  third,  so  quickly  that  the 
results  of  the  work  of  the  two  mingled  in  mid-air. 

"Another  still,  and  then  two  shots  from  a  Spanish 
battery,  that,  after  the  noise  of  the  dynamite,  sounded 
like  the  crackle  of  firecrackers. 

"The  Vesuvius  had  tested  herself.  She  was  found 
perfect  as  a  destroyer.  She  proved  that  no  fortification 
can  withstand  her  terrible  missiles. 

"Just  what  damage  she  did  I  could  not  tell  from 
the  sea.  Whatever  was  within  hundreds  of  feet  of  the 
point  of  impact  must  have  gone  to  destruction." 

June  16.  On  the  fifteenth  of  June  the  marines  at 
Guantanamo  Bay  were  given  an  opportunity  to  rest,  for 
the  lesson  the  Spaniards  received  on  the  fourteenth 
had  been  a  severe  one,  and  the  fleet  off  Santiago 
remained  inactive.  It  was  but  the  lull  before  the 
storm  of  iron  which  was  rained  upon  the  Spanish  on 
the  sixteenth. 

The  prelude  to  this  third  bombardment  of  Santiago 
was  a  second  trial  of  the  Vesuvius  at  midnight  on  the 
fifteenth,  when  she  sent  three  more  25O-pound  charges 
of  guncotton  into  the  fortifications.  This  clone,  the 
fleet  remained  like  spectres,  each  vessel  at  its  respec- 
tive station,  until  half-past  three  o'clock  on  the  morning 


SANTIAGO    DE    CUBA.  209 

of  the  sixteenth,  when  the  bluejackets  were  aroused 
and  served  with  coffee. 

Immediately  the  first  gray  light  of  dawn  appeared, 
the  ships  steamed  in  toward  the  fortifications  of  Santi- 
ago until  within  three  thousand  yards,  and  there,  lying 
broadside  on,  three  cables' -lengths  apart,  they  waited  for 
the  day  to  break. 

It  was  5.25  when  the  New  York  opened  with  a  broad- 
side from  her  main  battery,  and  the  bombardment  was 
begun. 

All  along  the  crescent-shaped  line  the  big  guns 
roared  and  the  smaller  ones  crackled  and  snapped,  each 
piece  throughout  the  entire  squadron  being  worked 
with  such  energy  that  it  was  like  one  mighty,  continuous 
wave  of  crashing  thunder,  and  from  out  this  convulsion 
came  projectiles  of  enormous  weight,  until  it  seemed 
as  if  all  that  line  of  shore  must  be  rent  and  riven. 

Not  a  gun  was  directed  at  El  Morro,  for  there  it  was 
believed  the  brave  Hobson  and  his  gallant  comrades 
were  held  prisoners. 

When  the  signal  was  given  for  the  fleet  to  retire,  not 
a  man  had  been  wounded,  nor  a  vessel  struck  by  the 
fire  from  the  shore. 

The  governor  of  Santiago  sent  the  following  mes- 
sage to  Madrid  relative  to  the  bombardment : 

"  The  Americans  fired  one  thousand  shots.  Several 
Spanish  shells  hit  the  enemy's  vessels.  Our  losses  are 
three  killed  and  twenty  wounded,  including  two  officers. 
The  Spanish  squadron  was  not  damaged." 


2IO  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

While  the  Americans  were  making  their  presence 
felt  at  Santiago,  those  who  held  Guantanamo  Bay  were 
not  idle.  The  Texas,  Marblehead,  and  the  Suwanee  bom- 
barded the  brick  fort  and  earthworks  at  Caimanera,  at 
the  terminus  of  the  railroad  leading  to  the  city  of 
Guantanamo,  demolishing  them  entirely  after  an  hour 
and  a  half  of  firing.  When  the  Spaniards  fled  from 
the  fortifications,  the  St.  Paid  shelled  them  until  they 
were  hidden  in  the  surrounding  forest. 

An  hour  or  more  after  the  bombardment  ceased  the 
Marblehead' s  steam  launch  began  dragging  the  harbour 
near  the  fort  for  mines.  One  was  found  and  taken  up, 
and  while  it  was  being  towed  to  the  war-ship  a  party  of 
Spaniards  on  shore  opened  fire.  The  launch  headed 
toward  shore  and  began  banging  away,  but  the  bow 
gun  finally  kicked  overboard,  carrying  the  gunner  with 
it.  At  this  moment  the  enemy  beat  a  prompt  retreat ; 
the  gunner  was  pulled  inboard,  and  the  bluejackets 
continued  their  interrupted  work. 

June  77.  Next  day  the  batteries  on  Hicacal  Point 
and  Hospital  Cay  were  shelled,  the  Marble  head  and  the 
St.  Paul  attending  to  the  first,  and  the  Suwanee  car- 
ing for  the  latter,  while  the  Dolphin  and  even  the 
collier  Scindia  fired  a  few  shots  for  diversion.  The 
task  was  concluded  in  less  than  half  an  hour,  and  had 
no  more  than  come  to  an  end  when  a  small  sloop  was 
sighted  off  the  entrance  to  the  bay. 

The  Marblehead's  steam  launch  was  sent  in  pursuit, 
and  an  hour  later  returned  with  the  prize,  which  proved 


SANTIAGO    DE    CUBA.  211 

to  be  the  Chato.  Her  crew  of  five  were  taken  on 
board  the  Marbleluad  as  prisoners. 

June  18.  The  active  little  steam  launch  made 
another  capture  next  day  while  cruising  outside  the 
bay ;  a  nameless  sloop,  on  which  were  four  men  who 
claimed  to  have  been  sent  from  the  lighthouse  at  Cape 
Maysi  to  Guantanamo  City  for  oil.  There  were  strong 
reasons  for  believing  this  party  had  come  to  spy  out 
the  position  of  the  American  ships,  and  all  were  trans- 
ferred to  the  Marblehead. 

The  crew  of  the  Oregon  had  gun  practice  again  on 
this  day  when  they  shelled  and  destroyed  a  blockhouse 
three  miles  up  the  bay,  killing,  so  it  was  reported,  no 
less  than  twenty  of  the  enemy. 

The  first  vessel  of  a  long-expected  fleet  of  transports, 
carrying  the  second  detachment  of  General  Shafter's 
army,  hove  in  sight  of  Admiral  Sampson's  squadron  on 
the  evening  of  June  i8th,  and  next  morning  at  daylight 
the  launches  of  the  New  York  and  Massachusetts  recon- 
noitred the  shore  between  Cabanas,  two  miles  off  the 
entrance  to  Santiago  Harbour,  and  Guayaganaco,  two 
miles  farther  west,  in  search  of  a  landing-place. 

Lieutenant  Harlovv,  in  command  of  the  expedition, 
made  the  following  report  : 

"The  expedition  consisted  of  a  steam  launch  from 
the  Massachusetts,  in  charge  of  Cadet  Hart,  and  a 
launch  from  the  New  York,  in  charge  of  Cadet  Powell. 
I  took  passage  on  the  Massachusetts  launch,  leading 
the  way.  Soundings  were  taken  on  entering  the  bay 


212  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

close  under  the  old  fort,  and  we  were  preparing  to  cir- 
cumnavigate the  bay  at  full  speed  when  fire  was  opened 
from  the  fort  and  rocks  on  the  shore.  The  Massachu- 
setts' launch  was  some  distance  ahead  and  about  forty 
yards  off  the  fort.  There  was  no  room  to  turn,  and 
our  i -pounder  could  not  be  brought  to  bear.  We 
backed  and  turned  under  a  heavy  fire. 

"  Cadet  Hart  operated  the  gun  as  soon  as  it  could  be 
brought  to  bear,  sitting  exposed  in  the  bow,  and  work- 
ing the  gun  as  coolly  and  carefully  as  at  target 
practice. 

"  Cadet  Powell  had  been  firing  since  the  Spaniards 
opened.  He  was  also  perfectly  cool.  Both  launches 
ran  out  under  a  heavy  fire  of  from  six  to  eight  minutes. 
I  estimate  that  there  were  twenty-five  Spaniards  on  the 
parapet  of  the  old  fort.  The  number  along  shore  was 
larger,  but  indefinite.  The  launches,  as  soon  as  it  was 
practicable,  sheered  to  give  the  Vixen  the  range  of  the 
fort.  The  Vixen  and  the  Texas  silenced  the  shore  fire 
promptly. 

"  I  strongly  commend  Cadet  Hart  and  Cadet  Powell 
for  the  cool  management  of  the  launches.  One  launch 
was  struck  seven  times.  Nobody  in  either  was  hurt. 
A  bullet  struck  a  shell  at  Cadet  Hart's  feet  between 
the  projectile  and  the  powder,  but  failed  to  explode  the 
latter. 

"Coxswain  O'Donnell  and  Seaman  Bloom  are  com- 
mended, as  is  also  the  coolness  with  which  the  marines 
and  sailors  worked  under  the  Spanish  fire. 


SANTIAGO    DE    CUBA.  213 

"  Nothing  was  learned  at  Cabanas  Bay,  but  at  Guay- 
aganaco  it  is  evident  a  landing  is  practicable  for  ships' 
boats.  The  same  is  true  of  Rancho  Cruz,  a  small  bay 
to  the  eastward.  Both  would  be  valuable  with  Cabanas, 
but  useless  without  it. 

"  I  am  informed  that  to  the  north  and  westward  of 
Cabanas  Bay  there  is  a  large  clearing,  with  plenty 
of  grass  and  water. 

"  I  think  a  simultaneous  landing  at  the  three  places 
named  would  be  practicable  if  the  ships  shelled  the 
adjacent  wood.  A  junction  would  naturally  follow  at 
the  clearing." 

Cuban  scouts  reported  to  Colonel  Huntington  on 
Guantanamo  Bay  that  the  streets  of  Caimanera  have 
been  covered  with  straw  saturated  in  oil,  in  order  that 
the  city  may  be  destroyed  when  the  Americans  evince 
any  disposition  to  take  possession.  The  Spanish  gun- 
boat Sandoval,  lying  at  one  of  the  piers,  has  been  loaded 
with  inflammables,  and  will  be  burned  with  the  city,  her 
commander  declaring  that  she  shall  never  become  an 
American  prize. 

During  this  Sunday  night  the  Vesuvius  again  dis- 
charged her  dynamite  guns,  with  the  western  battery 
as  a  target,  and  because  of  the  frightful  report  which 
followed  the  second  shot,  it  was  believed  a  magazine  had 
been  exploded. 

June  20.  The  fleet  of  transports  arrived  off  Santiago 
at  noon  on  the  twentieth,  and  hove  to  outside  the  cordon 
of  war-vessels.  General  Shafter  immediately  went  on 


214  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

board  the  flag-ship,  and  returned  to  his  own  ship  an 
hour  later  in  company  with  Admiral  Sampson,  when 
the  two  officers  sailed  for  Asserradero,  seventeen 
miles  from  Santiago,  where  General  Calixto  Garcia 
was  encamped  with  his  army  of  four  thousand  Cubans. 
Here  a  long  conference  was  held  with  the  insurgent 
general,  after  which  the  two  commanders  returned  to 
the  fleet. 

June  21.  The  despatch  quoted  below  was  sent  by 
Admiral  Sampson  to  the  Navy  Department,  and  gives 
in  full  the  work  of  the  day  : 

"Landing  of  the  army  is  progressing  favorably  at 
Daiquiri.  There  is  very  little,  if  any,  resistance.  The 
New  Orleans,  Detroit,  Castine,  Wasp,  and  Suwanee 
shelled  the  vicinity  before  the  landing.  We  made  a 
demonstration  at  Cabanas  to  engage  the  attention  of 
the  enemy.  The  Texas  engaged  the  west  battery  for 
some  hours.  She  had  one  man  killed.  Ten  submarine 
mines  have  been  recovered  from  the  channel  of  Guan- 
tanamo.  Communication  by  telegraph  has  been  estab- 
lished at  Guantanamo." 

Daiquiri  was  chosen  as  the  point  of  debarkation  by 
General  Shafter,  and  its  only  fortifications  were  a 
blockhouse  on  a  high  cliff  to  the  right  of  an  iron  pier, 
together  with  a  small  fort  and  earthworks  in  the  rear. 
From  this  town  extends  a  good  road  to  Santiago,  and 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  port  the  water-supply 
is  plentiful. 

June  22.     Bombarding  the  coast  as  a  cover  for  the 


SANTIAGO    DE    CUBA.  215 

troops  which  were  being  disembarked,  was  the  principal 
work  of  the  war-ships  on  the  twenty-second  of  June, 
except  in  Guantanamo  Harbour,  where  volunteers  were 
called  for  from  the  Marblehead  and  the  Dolphin  to 
grapple  for  and  remove  the  contact  mines  in  the  har- 
bour. It  was  an  undertaking  as  perilous  as  anything 
that  had  yet  been  accomplished,  but  the  bluejackets 
showed  no  fear.  Four  times  the  designated  number 
came  forward  in  response  to  the  call,  and  before  night- 
fall seven  mines  had  been  removed. 

The  battle-ship  Texas  was  assigned  to  duty  off  Mata- 
moras,  the  works  of  which  were  to  be  bombarded  as  a 
portion  of  the  general  programme  for  this  day  while  the 
troops  were  being  landed.  The  men  of  the  Texas  per- 
formed their  part  well ;  the  Socapa  battery  was  quickly 
silenced  ;  but  not  quite  soon  enough  to  save  the  life  of 
one  brave  bluejacket.  The  last  shell  fired  by  the 
retreating  Spaniards  struck  the  battle-ship  twenty  feet 
abaft  the  stem  on  the  port  side.  It  passed  through  the 
hull  about  three  feet  below  the  main-deck  line,  and 
failed  to  explode  until  striking  an  iron  stanchion  at  the 
centre  line  of  the  berth-deck.  Here  were  two  guns' 
crews,  and  among  them  the  fragments  of  the  shell  flew 
in  a  deadly  shower,  killing  one  and  wounding  eight. 
Later  in  the  day  the  Texas  steamed  out  to  sea  to  bury 
the  dead,  and,  this  sad  duty  performed,  returned  before 
nightfall  to  her  station  on  the  blockade. 

June  23.     General  Shafter  thus  reported  to  the  Wai 
Department : 


2l6  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

"Daiquiri,  June  23.  —  Had  very  fine  voyage;  lost 
less  than  fifty  animals,  six  or  eight  to-day ;  lost  more 
putting  them  through  the  surf  to  land,  than  on 
transports. 

"  Command  as  healthy  as  when  we  left ;  eighty  men 
sick ;  only  deaths,  two  men  drowned  in  landing ;  land- 
ings difficult ;  coast  quite  similar  to  that  in  vicinity 
of  San  Francisco,  and  covered  with  dense  growth  of 
bushes.  Landing  at  Daiquiri  unopposed ;  all  points 
occupied  by  Spanish  troops  heavily  bombarded  by 
navy  to  clear  them  out. 

"  Sent  troops  toward  Santiago,  and  occupied  Juragua, 
a  naturally  strong  place,  this  morning.  Spanish  troops 
retreating  as  soon  as  our  advance  was  known.  Had  no 
mounted  troops,  or  could  have  captured  them,  about 
six  hundred  all  told. 

"  Railroad  from  there  in.  Have  cars  and  engine  in 
possession. 

"  With  assistance  of  navy  disembarked  six  thousand 
men  yesterday,  and  as  many  more  to-day. 

"  Will  get  all  troops  off  to-morrow,  including  light 
artillery  and  greater  portion  of  pack-train,  probably  all 
of  it,  with  some  of  the  wagons  ;  animals  have  to  be 
jumped  to  the  water  and  towed  ashore. 

"  Had  consultation  with  Generals  Garcia,  Rader  and 
Castillo,  on  afternoon  of  twentieth,  twenty  miles  west 
of  Santiago.  These  officers  were  unanimously  of  the 
opinion  that  the  landing  should  be  made  east  of 
Santiago.  I  had  come  to  the  same  conclusion. 


SANTIAGO    DE    CUBA.  217 

"General  Garcia  promises  to  join  me  at  Juragua 
to-morrow  with  between  three  thousand  and  four 
thousand  men,  who  will  be  brought  from  west  of 
Santiago  by  ships  of  the  navy  to  Juragua,  and  there 
disembarked. 

"This  will  give  me  between  four  thousand  and  five 
thousand  Cubans,  and  leave  one  thousand  under 
General  Rabi  to  threaten  Santiago  from  the  west. 

"General  Kent's  division  is  being  disembarked  this 
afternoon  at  Juragua,  and  this  will  be  continued  during 
the  night.  The  assistance  of  the  navy  has  been  of  the 
greatest  benefit  and  enthusiastically  given ;  without  them 
I  could  not  have  landed  in  ten  days,  and  perhaps  not  at 
all,  as  I  believe  I  should  have  lost  so  many  boats  in  the 
surf. 

"  At  present  want  nothing ;  weather  has  been  good, 
no  rain  on  land,  and  prospects  of  fair  weather. 

"  SHAFTER, 
" Major-General  U.  S.  Commanding" 

The  boys  of  '98  occupied  the  town  of  Aguadores 
before  nightfall  on  the  twenty-third  of  June,  the  Span- 
iards having  applied  the  torch  to  many  buildings  before 
they  fled.  The  enemy  was  driven  back  on  to  San- 
tiago, General  Linares  commanding  in  person,  and 
close  to  his  heels  hung  General  Lawton  and  the 
advance  of  the  American  forces. 

June  24.  It  was  evident  that  the  Spanish  intended 
to  make  a  stand  at  Sevilla,  six  miles  from  Juragua,  and 


2l8  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

five  miles  from  Santiago.  The  Americans  were  press- 
ing them  hotly  to  prevent  General  Linares  from  gaining 
time  to  make  preparations  for  an  encounter,  when  the 
Rough  Riders,  as  Colonel  Wood's  regiment  was  termed, 
and  the  First  and  Tenth  Cavalry  fell  into  an  ambuscade. 
Then  what  will  probably  be  known  as  the  battle  of 
La  Quasina  was  fought. 

It  is  thus  described  by  a  correspondent  of  the 
Associated  Press  : 

That  the  Spaniards  were  thoroughly  posted  as  to 
the  route  to  be  taken  by  the  Americans  in  their  move- 
ment toward  Sevilla  was  evident,  as  shown  by  the 
careful  preparations  they  had  made. 

The  main  body  of  the  Spaniards  was  posted  on  a 
hill,  on  the  heavily  wooded  slopes  of  which  had  been 
erected  two  blockhouses  flanked  by  irregular  intrench- 
ments  of  stone  and  fallen  trees.  At  the  bottom  of 
these  hills  run  two  roads,  along  which  Lieutenant-Col- 
onel Roosevelt's  men,  and  eight  troops  of  the  First 
and  Tenth  Cavalry,  with  a  battery  of  four  howitzers, 
advanced.  These  roads  are  but  little  more  than  gullies, 
rough  and  narrow,  and  at  places  almost  impassable. 

In  these  trails  the  fight  occurred.  Nearly  half  a 
mile  separated  Roosevelt's  men  from  the  regulars, 
and  between,  and  on  both  sides  of  the  road  in  the 
thick  underbrush,  was  concealed  a  force  of  Spaniards 
that  must  have  been  large,  judging  from  the  terrific 
and  constant  fire  they  poured  in  on  the  Americans. 

The  fight  was  opened  by  the  First  and  Tenth  Cavalry, 


COLONEL    THEODORE    ROOSEVELT. 


SANTIAGO    DE    CUBA.  219 

under  General  Young.  A  force  of  Spaniards  was  known 
to  be  in  the  vicinity  of  La  Quasina,  and  early  in  the 
morning  Lieutenant-Colonel  Roosevelt's  men  started  off 
up  the  precipitous  bluff,  back  of  Siboney,  to  attack 
the  enemy  on  his  right  flank.  General  Young  at  the 
same  time  took  the  road  at  the  foot  of  the  hill. 

About  two  and  one-half  miles  out  from  Siboney 
some  Cubans,  breathless  and  excited,  rushed  into  camp 
with  the  announcement  that  the  Spaniards  were  but  a 
little  way  in  front,  and  were  strongly  entrenched. 
Quickly  the  Hotchkiss  guns  in  the  front  were  brought 
to  the  rear,  while  a  strong  scouting  line  was  thrown 
out. 

Then  cautiously  and  in  silence  the  troops  moved  for- 
ward until  a  bend  in  the  road  disclosed  a  hill  where  the 
Spaniards  were  located.  The  guns  were  again  brought 
to  the  front  and  placed  in  position,  while  the  men 
crouched  down  in  the  road,  waiting  impatiently  to  give 
Roosevelt's  men,  who  were  toiling  over  the  little  trail 
along  the  crest  of  the  hill,  time  to  get  up. 

At  7.30  A.  M.  General  Young  gave  the  command  to 
the  men  at  the  Hotchkiss  guns  to  open  fire.  That 
command  was  the  signal  for  a  fight  that  for  stubborn- 
ness has  seldom  been  equalled.  The  instant  the 
Hotchkiss  guns  were  fired,  from  the  hillside  command- 
ing the  road  came  volley  after  volley  from  the  Mausers 
of  the  Spaniards. 

"  Don't  shoot  until  you  see  something  to  shoot  at," 
yelled  General  Young,  and  the  men,  with  set  jaws  and 


22O  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

gleaming  eyes,  obeyed  the  order.  Crawling  along  the 
edge  of  the  road,  they  protected  themselves  as  much  as 
possible  from  the  fearful  fire  of  the  Spaniards,  the 
troopers,  some  of  them  stripped  to  the  waist,  watching 
the  base  of  the  hill,  and  when  any  part  of  a  Spaniard 
became  visible,  they  fired.  Never  for  an  instant  did 
they  falter. 

One  dusky  warrior  of  the  Tenth  Cavalry,  with  a 
ragged  wound  in  his  thigh,  coolly  knelt  behind  a  rock, 
loading  and  firing,  and  when  told  by  one  of  his  com- 
rades that  he  was  wounded,  laughed  and  said  : 

"  Oh,  that's  all  right.  That's  been  there  for  some 
time." 

In  the  meantime,  away  off  to  the  left  could  be 
heard  the  crack  of  the  rifles  of  Colonel  Wood's  men, 
and  the  regular,  deeper-toned  volley-firing  of  the 
Spaniards. 

Over  there  the  American  losses  were  the  greatest. 
Colonel  Wood's  men,  with  an  advance-guard  well  out 
in  front,  and  two  Cuban  guides  before  them,  but  ap- 
parently with  no  flankers,  went  squarely  into  the  trap 
set  for  them  by  the  Spaniards,  and  only  the  unfaltering 
courage  of  the  men  in  the  face  of  a  fire  that  would 
even  make  a  veteran  quail,  prevented  what  might  easily 
have  been  a  disaster.  As  it  was,  Troop  L,  the  advance- 
guard  under  the  unfortunate  Captain  Capron,  was 
almost  surrounded,  and  but  for  the  reinforcement 
hurriedly  sent  forward  every  man  would  probably  have 
been  killed  or  wounded. 


SANTIAGO    DE    CUBA.  221 

When  the  reserves  came  up  there  was  no  hesitation. 
Colonel  Wood,  with  the  right  wing,  charged  straight  at 
a  blockhouse  eight  hundred  yards  away,  and  Colonel 
Roosevelt,  on  the  left,  charged  at  the  same  time.  Up 
the  men  went,  yelling  like  fiends,  and  never  stopping  to 
return  the  fire  of  the  Spaniards,  but  keeping  on  with 
a  grim  determination  to  capture  that  blockhouse. 

That  charge  was  the  end.  When  within  five  hundred 
yards  of  the  coveted  point,  the  Spaniards  broke  and 
ran,  and  for  the  first  time  the  boys  of  '98  had  the 
pleasure  which  the  Spaniards  had  been  experiencing  all 
through  the  engagement,  of  shooting  with  the  enemy 
in  sight. 

The  losses  among  the  Rough  Riders  were  reported 
as  thirteen  killed  and  forty  wounded  ;  while  the  First 
Cavalry  lost  sixteen  wounded.  Edward  Marshall,  a 
newspaper  correspondent,  was  seriously  wounded. 

While  the  land-forces  were  fighting  four  miles  north- 
west of  Juragua,  Rear-Admiral  Sampson  learned  that 
the  Spaniards  were  endeavouring  to  destroy  the  railroad 
leading  from  Juragua  to  Santiago  de  Cuba. 

This  road  runs  west  along  the  seashore,  under  cover 
of  the  guns  of  the  American  fleet,  until  within  three 
miles  of  El  Morro,  and  then  cuts  through  the  moun- 
tains along  the  river  into  Santiago. 

When  the  attempt  of  the  Spaniards  was  discovered, 
the  New  York,  Scorpion,  and  Wasp  closed  in  and  cleared 
the  hill  and  brush  of  Spaniards. 


222  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

Jiine  26.  The  American  lines  were  advanced  to 
within  four  miles  of  Santiago,  and  the  boys  could  look 
into  the  doomed  city.  It  was  possible  to  make  accurate 
note  of  the  defences,  and  most  likely  officers  as  well  as 
men  were  astonished  by  the  preparations  which  had 
been  made. 

There  were  blockhouses  on  every  hill ;  from  the  har- 
bour batteries,  sweeping  in  a  semicircle  to  the  eastward 
of  the  city,  were  rifle-pits  and  intrenchments  skilfully 
arranged.  Earthworks,  in  a  regular  line,  completely 
shut  off  approach  to  the  city,  and  in  front  of  the 
entrenchments  and  rifle-pits  were  barbed-wire  fences, 
or  trochas. 

Three  more  charges  of  guncotton  did  the  dynamite 
cruiser  Vestivius  throw  into  the  batteries  at  the 
mouth  of  Santiago  Harbour  on  the  night  of  June 
26th,  and  next  morning  the  evidences  of  her  work 
could  be  seen  on  the  western  battery,  a  portion  of 
which  was  in  ruins.  The  water-mains  which  supplied 
the  city  of  Santiago  were  cut  on  the  same  night,  and 
the  doomed  city  thus  brought  so  much  nearer  to 
capitulation. 

July  /.  Knowing  that  with  the  close  of  June  the 
American  army  was  in  readiness  for  a  decisive  action, 
the  people  waited  anxiously,  tearfully,  for  the  first  terri- 
ble word  which  should  be  received  telling  of  slaughter 
and  woeful  suffering,  and  it  came  on  the  evening  of 
July  ist,  when  the  cablegram  given  below  was  flashed 
over  the  wires  to  the  War  Department : 


SANTIAGO    DE    CUBA.  223 

"PLAYA    DEL    ESTE,  July    I,    1898. 

"A.  G.  O.t  U.  S.  Anny,  Washington: 

"Siboney,  July  I. —  Had  a  very  heavy  engagement 
to-day,  which  lasted  from  eight  A.  M.  till  sundown. 

"  We  have  carried  their  outer  works  and  are  now  in 
possession  of  them. 

"There  is  now  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  of  open 
country  between  my  lines  and  city ;  by  morning  troops 
will  be  entrenched  and  considerable  augmentation  of 
forces  will  be  there. 

"General  Lawton's  division  and  General  Bates's 
brigade,  which  had  been  engaged  all  day  in  carrying 
El  Caney,  which  was  accomplished  at  four  p.  M.,  will  be 
in  line  and  in  front  of  Santiago  during  the  night. 

"  I  regret  to  say  that  our  casualties  will  be  above 
four  hundred ;  of  these  not  many  are  killed. 

(Signed)         "W.  R.  SHAFTER,  Major-General." 


CHAPTER   XL 

EL  CANEY  AND  SAN  JUAN  HEIGHTS. 


w.   R.  SHAFTER,  in  his  official 

report  of  the  operations  around  Santiago,  says  : 
"  On  June  3Oth  I  reconnoitred  the  country  about 
Santiago  and  made  my  plan  of  attack.  From  a  high 
hill,  from  which  the  city  was  in  plain  view,  I  could  see 
the  San  Juan  Hill  and  the  country  about  El  Caney. 
The  roads  were  very  poor  and,  indeed,  little  better  than 
bridle-paths  until  the  San  Juan  River  and  El  Caney 
were  reached.  The  position  of  El  Caney,  to  the 
northeast  of  Santiago,  was  of  great  importance  to 
the  enemy,  as  holding  the  Guantanamo  road,  as  well 
as  furnishing  shelter  for  a  strong  outpost  that  might 
be  used  to  assail  the  right  flank  of  any  force  oper- 
ating against  San  Juan  Hill.  In  view  of  this,  I  decided 
to  begin  the  attack  next  day  at  El  Caney  with  one 
division,  while  sending  two  divisions  on  the  direct 
road  to  Santiago,  passing  by  the  El  Pozo  house,  and 
as  a  diversion  to  direct  a  small  force  against  Agua- 
dores,  from  Siboney  along  the  railroad  by  the  sea,  with 
a  view  of  attracting  the  attention  of  the  Spaniards 
in  the  latter  direction,  and  of  preventing  them  from 


MAJOR-GENERAL    SHAFTER. 


EL   CANEY    AND    SAN    JUAN    HEIGHTS.          225 

attacking  our  left  flank.  .  .  .  But  we  were  in  a  sickly 
climate ;  our  supplies  had  to  be  brought  forward  by  a 
narrow  wagon-road  which  the  rain  might  at  any  time 
render  impassable ;  fear  was  entertained  that  a  storm 
might  drive  the  vessels  containing  our  stores  to  sea, 
thus  separating  us  from  our  base  of  supplies,  antf, 
lastly,  it  was  reported  that  General  Pando,  with  eight 
thousand  reinforcements  for  the  enemy,  was  en  route 
for  Manzanillo,  and  might  be  expected  in  a  few  days. 
Under  these  conditions  I  determined  to  give  battle 
without  delay. 

"Early  on  the  morning  of  July  ist  Lawton  was  in 
position  around  El  Caney,  Chaff ee's  brigade  on  the 
right  across  the  Guantanamo  road,  Miles's  brigade  in 
the  centre  and  Ludlow's  on  the  left.  The  duty  of 
cutting  off  the  enemy's  retreat  along  the  Santiago 
road  was  assigned  to  the  latter  brigade.  The  artillery 
opened  on  the  town  at  6. 1 5  A.  M.  The  battle  here  soon 
became  general,  and  was  hotly  contested.  The  enemy's 
position  was  naturally  strong,  and  was  rendered  more 
so  by  blockhouses,  a  stone  fort  and  entrenchments  cut 
in  solid  rock,  and  the  loopholing  of  a  solidly  built 
stone  church.  The  opposition  offered  by  the  enemy 
was  greater  than  had  been  anticipated,  and  prevented 
Lawton  from  joining  the  right  of  the  main  line  during 
the  day,  as  had  been  intended.  After  the  battle  had 
continued  for  some  time,  Bates's  brigade  of  two  regi- 
ments reached  my  headquarters  from  Siboney.  I  di- 
rected him  to  move  near  El  Caney,  to  give  assistance  if 


226  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

necessary.  He  did  so,  and  was  put  in  position  between 
Miles  and  Chaffee.  The  battle  continued  with  varying 
intensity  during  most  of  the  day  and  until  the  place 
was  carried  by  assault  about  4.30  P.  M.  As  the  Span- 
iards endeavoured  to  retreat  along  the  Santiago  road, 
Ludlow's  position  enabled  him  to  do  very  effective 
work,  and  practically  to  cut  off  all  retreat  in  that  di- 
rection. 

"  After  the  battle  at  El  Caney  was  well  opened,  and 
the  sound  of  the  small-arms  fire  caused  us  to  believe 
that  Lawton  was  driving  the  enemy  before  him,  I  di- 
rected Grimes's  battery  to  open  fire  from  the  heights  of 
El  Pozo  on  the  San  Juan  blockhouse,  situated  in  the 
enemy's  entrenchments,  extending  along  the  crest  of 
San  Juan  Hill.  This  fire  was  effective,  and  the  enemy 
could  be  seen  running  away  from  the  vicinity  of  the 
blockhouse.  The  artillery  fire  from  El  Pozo  was  soon 
returned  by  the  enemy's  artillery.  They  evidently  had 
the  range  of  this  hill,  and  their  first  shells  killed  and 
wounded  several  men.  As  the  Spaniards  used  smoke- 
less powder,  it  was  very  difficult  to  locate  the  position 
of  their  pieces,  while,  on  the  contrary,  the  smoke  caused 
by  our  black  powder  plainly  indicated  the  position  of 
our  battery. 

"At  this  time  the  cavalry  division,  under  General 
Sumner,  which  was  lying  concealed  in  the  general 
vicinity  of  the  El  Pozo  house,  was  ordered  forward 
with  directions  to  cross  the  San  Juan  River  and  deploy 
to  the  right  on  the  Santiago  side,  while  Kent's  division 


EL  CANEY  AND  SAN  JUAN  HEIGHTS.    227 

was  to  follow  closely  in  its  rear  and  deploy  to  the  left. 
These  troops  moved  forward  in  compliance  with  orders, 
but  the  road  was  so  narrow  as  to  render  it  impracticable 
to  retain  the  column  of  fours  formation  at  all  points, 
while  the  undergrowth  on  both  sides  was  so  dense  as 
to  preclude  the  possibility  of  deploying  skirmishers. 
It  naturally  resulted  that  the  progress  made  was  slow, 
and  the  long-range  rifles  of  the  enemy's  infantry  killed 
and  wounded  a  number  of  our  men  while  marching 
along  this  road,  and  before  there  was  any  opportunity 
to  return  this  fire.  At  this  time  Generals  Kent  and 
Sumner  were  ordered  to  push  forward  with  all  possible 
haste,  and  place  their  troops  in  position  to  engage  the 
enemy.  General  Kent,  with  this  end  in  view,  forced 
the  head  of  his  column  alongside  the  cavalry  column 
as  far  as  the  narrow  trail  permitted,  and  thus  hurried 
his  arrival  at  the  San  Juan,  and  the  formation  beyond 
that  stream.  A  few  hundred  yards  before  reaching  the 
San  Juan,  the  road  forks,  a  fact  that  was  discovered 
by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Derby  of  my  staff,  who  had 
approached  well  to  the  front  in  a  war  balloon.  This 
information  he  furnished  to  the  troops,  resulting  in 
Sumner  moving  on  the  right-hand  road  while  Kent  was 
enabled  to  utilise  the  road  to  the  left.  General 
Wheeler,  the  permanent  commander  of  the  cavalry 
division,  who  had  been  ill,  came  forward  during  the 
morning,  and  later  returned  to  duty  and  rendered  most 
gallant  and  efficient  service  during  the  remainder  of  the 
day.  After  crossing  the  stream  the  cavalry  moved  to 


228  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

the  right,  with  a  view  to  connecting  with  Lawton's  left 
when  he  would  come  up,  with  their  left  resting  near 
the  Santiago  road. 

"  In  the  meantime,  Kent's  division,  with  the  exception 
of  two  regiments  of  Hawkins's  brigade,  being  thus 
uncovered,  moved  rapidly  to  the  front  from  the  forks 
previously  mentioned  in  the  road,  utilising  both  trails, 
but  more  especially  the  one  to  the  left,  and,  crossing 
the  creek,  formed  for  attack  in  the  front  of  San  Juan 
Hill.  During  this  formation  the  Third  Brigade  suffered 
severely.  While  personally  superintending  this  move- 
ment its  gallant  commander,  Colonel  Wikoff,  was 
killed.  The  command  of  the  brigade  then  devolved 
upon  Lieutenant-Colonel  Worth,  Thirteenth  Infantry, 
who  was  soon  severely  wounded,  and  next  upon  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Liscum,  Twenty-fourth  Infantry,  who, 
five  minutes  later,  also  fell  under  the  terrible  fire 
of  the  enemy,  and  the  command  of  the  brigade  then 
devolved  upon  Lieutenant-Colonel  Ewers  of  the  Ninth 
Infantry. 

"  While  the  formation  just  described  was  taking  place, 
General  Kent  took  measures  to  hurry  forward  his  rear 
brigade.  The  Tenth  and  Second  Infantry  were  ordered 
to  follow  Wikoff's  brigade,  while  the  Twenty-first  was 
sent  on  the  right-hand  road  to  support  the  First  Brigade 
under  General  Hawkins,  who  had  crossed  the  stream 
and  formed  on  the  right  of  the  division.  The  Second 
and  Tenth  Infantry,  Colonel  E.  P.  Pearson  commanding, 
moved  forward  in  good  order  on  the  left  of  the  division, 


THE    ATTACK    ON    SAN    JUAN    HILL. 


EL   CANEY    AND    SAN   JUAN    HEIGHTS.          2 29 

passing  over  a  green  knoll,  and  drove  the  enemy  back 
toward  his  trenches. 

"  After  completing  their  formation  under  a  destructive 
fire,  advancing  a  short  distance,  both  divisions  found  in 
their  front  a  wide  bottom,  in  which  had  been  placed  a 
barbed- wire  entanglement,  and  beyond  which  there  was 
a  high  hill,  along  the  crest  of  which  the  enemy  was 
strongly  posted.  Nothing  daunted,  these  gallant  men 
pushed  on  to  drive  the  enemy  from  his  chosen  position, 
both  divisions  losing  heavily.  In  this  assault  Colonel 
Hamilton,  Lieutenants  Smith  and  Shipp  were  killed, 
and  Colonel  Carroll,  Lieutenants  Thayer  and  Myer,  all 
in  the  cavalry,  were  wounded.  Great  credit  is  due  to 
Brigadier-General  H.  S.  Hawkins,  who,  placing  himself 
between  his  regiments,  urged  them  on  by  voice  and 
bugle-call  to  the  attack  so  brilliantly  executed. 

"In  this  fierce  encounter  words  fail  to  do  justice  to 
the  gallant  regimental  commanders  and  their  heroic 
men,  for,  while  the  generals  indicated  the  formation 
and  the  points  of  attack,  it  was,  after  all,  the  intrepid 
bravery  of  the  subordinate  officers  and  men  that  planted 
our  colours  on  the  crest  of  San  Juan  Hill  and  drove  the 
enemy  from  his  trenches  and  blockhouses,  thus  gaining 
a  position  which  sealed  the  fate  of  Santiago. 

"  In  the  action  on  this  part  of  the  field,  most  efficient 
service  was  rendered  by  Lieutenant  J.  H.  Parker,  Thir- 
teenth Infantry,  and  the  Gatling  gun  detachment  under 
his  command. 

"  The  fighting  continued  at  intervals  until  nightfall,  but 


230  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

our  men  held  resolutely  to  the  position  gained  at  the 
cost  of  so  much  blood  and  toil. 

"  On  the  night  of  July  ist  I  ordered  General  Duffield, 
at  Siboney,  to  send  forward  the  Thirty-fourth  Michigan 
and  the  Ninth  Massachusetts,  both  of  which  had  just 
arrived  from  the  United  States. 

"  All  day  on  the  second  the  battle  raged  with  more  or 
less  fury,  but  such  of  our  troops  as  were  in  position  at 
daylight  held  their  ground,  and  Lawton  gained  a  strong 
and  commanding  position  on  the  right.  About  ten  p.  M. 
the  enemy  made  a  vigorous  assault  to  break  through  my 
lines,  but  he  was  repulsed  at  all  points. 

"  On  the  morning  of  the  third  the  battle  was  renewed, 
but  the  enemy  seemed  to  have  expended  his  energy  in 
the  assault  of  the  previous  night,  and  the  firing  along 
the  line  was  desultory." 

Such  is  the  official  report  of  the  battle  before 
Santiago,  where  were  killed  of  the  American  forces 
twenty-three  officers,  and  208  men  ;  wounded  eighty 
officers,  and  1,203  men;  missing,  eighty-one;  total, 


An  account  of  any  engagement  is  made  more  vivid  by 
a  recital  of  those  who  participated  in  the  bloody  work, 
since  the  commanding  officer  views  the  action  as  a 
whole,  and  purely  from  a  military  standpoint,  while  the 
private,  who  may  know  little  or  nothing  regarding  the 
general  outcome,  understands  full  well  what  took  place 
immediately  around  him.  Mr.  W.  K.  Hearst,  the  pro- 


EL    CANEY    AND    SAN    JUAN    HEIGHTS.          23! 

prietor  of  the  New  York  Journal,  told  the  following 
graphic  story  in  the  columns  of  his  paper  : 

"  I  set  out  before  daybreak  this  morning  on  horseback 
with  Honore  Laine,  who  is  a  colonel  in  the  Cuban  army. 
We  rode  over  eight  miles  of  difficult  country  which 
intervenes  between  the  army  base,  on  the  coast,  and 
the  fighting  line,  which  is  being  driven  forward  toward 
Santiago. 

"  Pozo,  as  a  position  for  our  battery,  was  ill  chosen. 
The  Spaniards  had  formerly  occupied  it  as  a  fort,  and 
they  knew  precisely  the  distance  to  it  from  their  guns, 
and  so  began  their  fight  with  the  advantage  of  a  perfect 
knowledge  of  the  range. 

"Their  first  shell  spattered  shrapnel  in  a  very  unpleas- 
ant way  all  over  the  tiled  roof  of  the  white  house  at  the 
back  of  the  ridge.  It  was  the  doors  of  this  house  which 
we  were  approaching  for  shelter,  and  later,  when  we 
came  to  take  our  luncheon,  we  found  that  a  shrapnel 
ball  had  passed  clean  through  one  of  our  cans  of  pressed 
beef  which  our  pack-mule  was  carrying. 

"We  turned  here  to  the  right  toward  our  battery  on 
the  ridge.  When  we  were  half-way  between  thg  white 
house  and  the  battery,  the  second  shell  which  the 
Spaniards  fired  burst  above  the  American  battery,  not 
ten  feet  over  the  heads  of  our  men.  Six  of  our  fellows 
were  killed,  and  sixteen  wounded. 

"  The  men  in  the  battery  wavered  for  a  minute ;  then 
rallied  and  returned  to  their  guns,  and  the  firing  went 
on.  We  passed  from  there  to  the  right  again,  where 


232  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

General  Shafter's  war  balloon  was  ascending.  Six 
shells  fell  in  this  vicinity,  and  then  our  batteries  ceased 
firing. 

"  The  smoke  clouds  from  our  guns  were  forming 
altogether  too  plain  a  target  for  the  Spaniards.  There 
was  no  trace  to  be  seen  of  the  enemy's  batteries,  by 
reason  of  their  use  of  smokeless  powder. 

"  Off  to  the  far  right  of  our  line  of  formation,  Captain 
Capron's  artillery,  which  had  come  through  from 
Daiquiri  without  rest,  could  be  heard  banging  away  at 
Caney.  We  had  started  with  a  view  of  getting  where 
we  could  observe  artillery  operations,  so  we  directed 
our  force  thither. 

"  We  found  Captain  Capron  blazing  away  with  four 
guns,  where  he  should  have  had  a  dozen.  He  had  be- 
gun shelling  Caney  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning.  It 
was  now  noon,  and  he  was  still  firing.  He  was  aiming 
to  reduce  the  large  stone  fort  which  stood  on  the  hill 
above  the  town  and  commanded  it.  Captain  O'Connell 
had  laid  a  wager  that  the  first  shot  of  some  one  of  the 
four  guns  would  hit  the  fort,  and  he  had  won  his  bet. 
Since  that  time  dozens  of  shells  had  struck  the  fort, 
but  it  was  not  yet  reduced.  It  had  been  much  weak- 
ened, however. 

"  Through  glasses  our  infantry  could  be  seen  advanc- 
ing toward  this  fort.  As  the  cannon  at  our  side  would 
bang,  and  the  shell  would  swish  through  the  air  with  its 
querulous,  vicious,  whining  note,  we  would  watch  its 
explosion,  and  then  turn  our  attention  to  the  little  black 


EL    CANEY    AND   SAN    JUAN    HEIGHTS.          233 

specks  of  infantry  dodging  in  and  out  among  the 
groups  of  trees.  Now  they  would  disappear  wholly 
from  sight  in  the  brush,  and  again  would  be  seen  hurry- 
ing along  the  open  spaces,  over  the  grass-covered 
slopes,  or  across  ploughed  fields.  The  infantry  firing 
was  ceaseless,  our  men  popping  away  continuously,  as 
a  string  of  firecrackers  pops. 

"The  Spaniards  fired  in  volleys  against  our  men. 
Many  times  we  heard  the  volley  fire,  and  saw  the  brave 
fellows  pitch  forward  and  lie  still  on  the  turf,  while  the 
others  hurried  on  to  the  next  protecting  clump  of 
bushes. 

"  For  hours  the  Spaniards  had  poured  their  fire  from 
slits  in  the  stone  fort,  from  their  deep  trenches,  and 
from  the  windows  of  the  town.  For  hours  our  men 
answered  back  from  trees  and  brush  and  gullies.  For 
hours  cannon  at  our  side  banged  and  shells  screamed 
through  air  and  fell  upon  fort  and  town.  Always  our 
infantry  advanced,  drawing  nearer  and  closing  up  on 
the  village,  till  at  last  they  formed  under  a  group  of 
mangrove-trees  at  the  foot  of  the  very  hill  on  which 
the  stone  fort  stood. 

"  With  a  rush  they  swept  up  the  slope  and  the  stone 
fort  was  ours.  Then  you  should  have  heard  the  yells 
that  went  up  from  the  knoll  on  which  our  battery  stood. 
Gunners,  drivers,  Cubans,  correspondents,  swung  their 
hats  and  gave  a  mighty  cheer.  Immediately  our  bat- 
tery stopped  firing  for  fear  we  should  hurt  our  own 
men,  and,  dashing  down  into  the  valley,  hurried  across 


234  THE  BOYS  OF  '98. 

to  take  up  a  position  near  the  infantry,  who  were  now 
firing  on  Caney  from  the  blockhouse.  The  town  ar- 
tillery had  not  sent  half  a  dozen  shots  from  its  new 
position  before  the  musketry  firing  ceased,  and  the 
Spaniards,  broken  into  small  bunches,  fled  from  Caney 
in  the  direction  of  Santiago. 

"  Laine  and  I  hurried  up  to  the  stone  fort  and  found 
that  James  Creelman,  a  Journal  correspondent  with  the 
infantry  column,  had  been  seriously  wounded  and  was 
lying  in  the  Twelfth  Infantry  hospital.  Our  men  were 
still  firing  an  occasional  shot,  and  from  blockhouses 
and  isolated  trenches,  from  which  the  Spaniards  could 
not  safely  retreat,  flags  of  truce  were  waving. 

"  Guns  and  side-arms  were  being  taken  away  from 
such  Spaniards  as  had  outlived  the  pitiless  fire,  and 
their  dead  were  being  dumped  without  ceremony  into 
the  trenches,  after  the  Spanish  fashion. 

"  When  I  left  the  fort  to  hunt  for  Creelman,  I  found 
him,  bloody  and  bandaged,  lying  on  his  back  on  a 
blanket  on  the  ground,  but  shown  all  care  and  attention 
that  kindly  and  skilful  surgeons  could  give  him.  His 
first  words  to  me  were  that  he  was  afraid  he  could  not 
write  much  of  a  story,  as  he  was  pretty  well  dazed,  but 
if  I  would  write  for  him  he  would  dictate  the  best  he 
could.  I  sat  down  among  the  wounded,  and  Creelman 
told  me  his  story  of  the  fight.  Here  it  is  : 

"  '  The  extraordinary  thing  in  this  fight  of  all  the 
fights  I  have  seen,  is  the  enormous  amount  of  ammu- 
nition fired.  There  was  a  continuous  roar  of  musketry 


VICE-PRESIDENT    HOB  ART. 


EL    CANEY    AND    SAN    JUAN    HEIGHTS.          235 

from  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  until  four  in  the 
afternoon. 

" '  Chaffee's  brigade  began  the  fight  by  moving  along 
the  extreme  right,  with  Ludlow  down  in  the  low  coun- 
try to  the  left  of  Caney.  General  Chaffee's  brigade 
consisted  of  the  Seventeenth,  Seventh,  and  Twelfth 
Infantry,  and  was  without  artillery.  It  occupied  the 
extreme  right. 

"  '  The  formation  was  like  two  sides  of  an  equilateral 
triangle,  Ludlow  to  the  south,  and  Chaffee  to  the  east. 

"  '  Ludlow  began  firing  through  the  brush,  and  we 
could  see  through  the  palm-trees  and  tangle  of  bushes 
the  brown  and  blue  figures  of  our  soldiers  in  a  line  a 
mile  long,  stealing  from  tree  to  tree,  bush  to  bush, 
firing  as  they  went. 

" '  Up  here  on  the  heights  General  Chaffee,  facing 
Caney,  moved  his  troops  very  early  in  the  morning,  and 
the  battle  opened  by  Ludlow's  artillery  firing  on  the 
fort  and  knocking  several  holes  in  it. 

" '  The  artillery  kept  up  a  steady  fire  on  the  fort  and 
town,  and  finally  demolished  the  fort.  Several  times 
the  Spaniards  were  driven  from  it,  but  each  time  they 
returned  before  our  infantry  could  approach  it. 

"  '  Our  artillery  had  but  four  small  guns,  and,  though 
they  fired  with  great  accuracy,  it  was  ten  hours  be- 
fore they  finally  reduced  the  stone  fort  on  the  hill  and 
enabled  our  infantry  to  take  possession. 

'"The  Twelfth  Infantry  constituted  the  left  of  our 
attack,  the  Seventeenth  held  the  right,  while  the 


236  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

Seventh,  made  up  largely  of  recruits,  occupied  the 
centre. 

" '  The  Spanish  fired  from  loopholes  in  the  stone 
houses  of  the  town,  and,  furthermore,  were  massed  in 
trenches  on  the  east  side  of  the  fort.  They  fought 
like  devils. 

" '  From  all  the  ridges  round  about  the  stream  of  fire 
was  kept  up  on  Chaffee's  men,  who  were  kept  wonder- 
ing how  they  were  being  wounded.  For  a  time  they 
thought  General  Ludlow's  men  were  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  fort  and  were  firing  over  it. 

"  '  The  fact  was  the  fire  came  from  heavy  breastworks 
on  the  northwest  corner  of  Caney,  where  the  principal 
Spanish  force  lay,  with  their  hats  on  sticks  to  deceive 
our  riflemen.  From  this  position  the  enemy  poured  in 
a  fearful  fire.  The  Seventeenth  had  to  lie  down  flat 
under  the  pounding,  but  even  then  men  were  killed. 

" '  General  Chaffee  dashed  about  with  his  hat  on  the 
back  of  his  head  like  a  magnificent  cowboy,  urging  his 
men  on,  crying  to  them  to  get  in  and  help  their  country 
win  a  victory.  Smokeless  powder  makes  it  impossible 
to  locate  the  enemy,  and  you  wonder  where  the  fire 
comes  from.  When  you  stand  up  to  see  you  get  a 
bullet. 

" '  We  finally  located  the  trenches,  and  could  see  the 
officers  moving  about  urging  their  men.  The  enemy 
was  making  a  turning  movement  to  the  right.  To  turn 
the  left  of  the  Spanish  position  it  was  necessary  to 
get  a  blockhouse,  which  held  the  right  of  our  line. 


EL   CANEY    AND    SAN    JUAN    HEIGHTS.  237 

General  Chaffee  detailed  Captain  Clark  to  approach 
and  occupy  this  blockhouse  as  soon  as  the  artillery  had 
sufficiently  harried  its  Spanish  defenders. 

" '  Clark  and  Captain  Haskell  started  up  the  slope. 
I  told  them  I  had  been  on  the  ridge  and  knew  the 
condition  of  affairs,  so  I  would  show  them  the  way. 

" '  We  pushed  right  up  to  the  trench  around  the  fort, 
and,  getting  out  our  wire-cutters,  severed  the  barbed 
wire  in  front  of  it.  I  jumped  over  the  severed  strand 
and  got  into  the  trench. 

" '  It  was  a  horrible,  blood-splashed  thing,  and  an 
inferno  of  agony.  Many  men  lay  dead,  with  gleaming 
teeth,  and  hands  clutching  their  throats.  Others  were 
crawling  there  alive. 

" '  I  shouted  to  the  survivors  to  surrender,  and  they 
held  up  their  hands. 

" '  Then  I  ran  into  the  fort  and  found  there  a  Spanish 
officer  and  four  men  alive,  while  seven  lay  dead  in  one 
room.  The  whole  floor  ran  with  blood.  Blood  splashed 
all  the  walls.  It  was  a  perfect  hog-pen  of  butchery. 

" '  Three  poor  wretches  put  their  hands  together  in 
supplication.  One  had  a  white  handkerchief  tied  on 
a  stick.  This  he  lifted  and  moved  toward  me.  The 
other  held  up  his  hands,  while  the  third  began  to  pray 
and  plead. 

"'I  took  the  guns  from  all  three  and  threw  them 
outside  the  fort.  Then  I  called  some  of  our  men  and 
put  them  in  charge  of  the  prisoners. 

" '  I  then  got  out  of  the  fort,  ran  around  to  the  other 


238  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

side,  and  secured  the  Spanish  flag.     I  displayed  it  to 
our  troops,  and  they  cheered  lustily. 

"  'Just  as  I  turned  to  speak  to  Captain  Haskell  I  was 
struck  by  a  bullet  from  the  trenches  on  the  Spanish 
side.' " 

Before  five  o'clock,  on  the  morning  of  July  2d,  the 
crew  of  the  flag-ship  New  York  was  astir,  eating  a 
hurried  breakfast. 

At  5.50  general  quarters  was  sounded,  and  the  flag- 
ship headed  in  toward  Aguadores,  about  three  miles 
east  of  Morro  Castle.  The  other  ships  retained  their 
blockading  stations.  Along  the  surf-beaten  shore  the 
smoke  of  an  approaching  train  from  Altares  was  seen. 
It  was  composed  of  open  cars  full  of  General  Duffield's 
troops. 

At  a  cutting  a  mile  east  of  Aguadores  the  train 
stopped,  and  the  Cuban  scouts  proceeded  along  the 
railroad  track.  The  troops  got  out  of  the  cars,  and 
soon  formed  in  a  long,  thin  line,  standing  out  vividly 
against  the  yellow  rocks  that  rose  perpendicularly 
above,  shutting  them  off  from  the  main  body  of  the 
army,  which  was  on  the  other  side  of  the  hill,  several 
miles  north. 

From  the  quarter  of  the  flag-ship  there  was  a  signal, 
by  a  vigorously  wigwagged  letter,  and  a  few  minutes 
later,  from  a  clump  of  green  at  the  water's  edge,  came 
an  answer  from  the  army.  This  was  the  first  coopera- 
tion for  offensive  purposes  between  the  army  and  navy. 


EL    CANEY    AND    SAN    JUAN    HEIGHTS.          239 

The  landing  of  the  army  at  Daiquiri  and  Altares  was 
purely  a  naval  affair. 

With  the  flag  in  his  hand,  the  soldier  ashore  looked 
like  a  butterfly. 

"  Are  you  waiting  for  us  to  begin  ? "  was  the  signal 
made  by  Rear-Admiral  Sampson  to  the  army. 

"General  Duffield  is  ahead  with  the  scouts,"  came 
the  answer  from  the  shore  to  the  flag-ship. 

By  this  time  it  was  seven  A.  M.  The  admiral  ran  the 
flag-ship's  bow  within  three-quarters  of  a  mile  of  the 
beach.  She  remained  almost  as  near  during  the  fore- 
noon, and  the  daring  way  she  was  handled  by  Captain 
Chadwick,  within  sound  of  the  breakers,  made  the 
Cuban  pilot  on  board  stare  with  astonishment. 

The  Suwanee  was  in  company  with  the  flag-ship, 
still  closer  inshore,  and  the  Gloucester  was  to  the 
westward,  near  Morro  Castle.  From  the  southward 
the  Newark  came  up  and  took  a  position  to  the  west- 
ward. Her  decks  were  black  with  fifteen  hundred  or 
more  troops. 

She  went  alongside  of  the  flag-ship,  and  was  told  to 
disembark  the  troops  at  Altares. 

Then  Admiral  Sampson  signalled  to  General  Duffield : 

"When  do  you  want  us  to  commence  firing?" 

In  a  little  while  a  white  flag  on  shore  sent  back  the 
answer : 

"  When  the  rest  of  the  command  arrives ;  then  I 
will  signal  you." 

It  was  a  long  and  tedious  wait  for  the  ships  before 


240  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

the  second  fifty  car-loads  of  troops  came  puffing  along 
from  Altares. 

By  9.30  the  last  of  the  soldiers  had  left  the  open 
railroad  tracks,  disappearing  in  the  thick  brush  that 
covered  the  eastern  side  of  Aguadores  inlet.  . 

The  water  in  the  sponge  tubes  under  the  breeches  of 
the  big  guns  was  growing  hot  in  the  burning  sun. 

Ashore  there  was  no  sign  of  the  Spaniards.  They 
were  believed  to  be  on  the  western  bluff. 

Between  the  bluffs  ran  a  rocky  gully,  leading  into 
Santiago  City.  On  the  extremity  of  the  western  arm 
was  an  old  castellated  fort,  from  which  the  Spanish  flag 
was  flying,  and  on  the  parapet  on  the  eastern  hill,  com- 
manding the  gully,  two  stretches  of  red  earth  could 
easily  be  seen  against  the  brush.  These  were  the 
rifle-pits. 

At  10.15  a  signal-flag  ashore  wigwagged  to  Admiral 
Sampson  to  commence  firing,  and  a  minute  later  the 
New  York's  guns  blazed  away  at  the  rifle-pits  and  at 
the  old  fort. 

The  Suwanee  and  Gloucester  joined  in  the  firing. 

Of  our  troops  ashore  in  the  brush  nothing  could  be 
seen,  but  the  ping,  ping,  of  the  small  arms  of  the  army 
floated  out  to  sea  during  the  occasional  lull  in  the 
firing  of  the  big  guns,  which  peppered  the  rifle-pits 
until  clouds  of  red  earth  rose  above  them. 

An  8-inch  shell  from  the  Newark  dropped  in  the 
massive  old  fort,  and  clouds  of  white  dust  and  huge 
stones  filled  the  air.  When  the  small  shells  hit  its 


EL   CANEY    AND    SAN    JUAN    HEIGHTS.          241 

battlements,  almost  hidden  by  green  creepers,  frag- 
ments of  masonry  came  tumbling  down.  A  shot  from 
the  Suwanee  hit  the  eastern  parapet,  and  it  crumbled 
away.  Amid  the  smoke  and  debris,  the  flagstaff  was 
seen  to  fall  forward. 

"The  flag  has  been  shot  down!"  shouted  the  ship's 
crew,  but,  when  the  smoke  cleared  away,  the  emblem 
of  Spain  was  seen  to  be  still  flying  and  blazing  bril- 
liantly in  the  sun,  though  the  flagstaff  was  bending 
toward  the  earth. 

A  few  more  shots  from  the  Suwanee  levelled  the 
battlements  until  the  old  castle  was  a  pitiful  sight. 

When  the  firing  ceased,  Lieutenant  Delehanty  of  the 
Suwanee  was  anxious  to  finish  his  work,  so  he  signalled 
to  the  New  York,  asking  permission  to  knock  down  the 
Spanish  flag. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Admiral  Sampson,  "  if  you  can  do  it 
in  three  shots." 

The  Suwanee  then  lay  about  sixteen  hundred  yards 
from  the  old  fort.  She  took  her  time.  Lieutenant 
Blue  carefully  aimed  the  4-inch  gun,  and  the  crews  of  all 
the  ships  watched  the  incident  amid  intense  excitement. 

When  the  smoke  of  the  Suwanee' s  first  shot  cleared 
away,  only  two  red  streamers  of  the  flag  were  left.  The 
shell  had  gone  through  the  centre  of  the  bunting. 

A  delighted  yell  broke  from  the  crew  of  the  Suwanee. 

Two  or  three  minutes  later  the  Suwanee  fired  again, 
and  a  huge  cloud  of  debris  rose  from  the  base  of  the 
flagstaff. 


242  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

For  a  few  seconds  it  was  impossible  to  tell  what  had 
been  the  effect  of  the  shot.  Then  it  was  seen  that  the 
shell  had  only  added  to  the  ruin  of  the  fort. 

The  flagstaff  seemed  to  have  a  charmed  existence, 
and  the  Snwanee  only  had  one  charge  left.  It  seemed 
hardly  possible  for  her  to  achieve  her  object  with  the 
big  gun,  such  a  distance,  and  such  a  tiny  target. 

There  was  breathless  silence  among  the  watching 
crews.  They  crowded  on  the  ships'  decks,  and  all  eyes 
were  on  that  tattered  flag,  bending  toward  the  top  of 
what  had  once  been  a  grand  old  castle.  But  it  was 
only  bending,  not  yet  down.  Lieutenant-Commander 
Delehanty  and  Lieutenant  Blue  took  their  time.  The 
Stiwanee  changed  her  position  slightly. 

Then  a  puff  of  smoke  shot  out  from  her  side,  up 
went  a  shooting  cloud  of  debris  from  the  parapet,  and 
down  fell  the  banner  of  Spain. 

Such  yells  from  the  flag-ship  will  probably  never  be 
heard  again.  There  was  more  excitement  than  wit- 
nessed at  the  finish  of  a  college  boat-race,  or  a  popular 
race  between  first-class  thoroughbreds  on  some  big 
track. 

The  Suwanees  last  shot  had  struck  right  at  the 
base  of  the  flagstaff,  and  had  blown  it  clear  of  the 
wreckage,  which  had  held  it  from  finishing  its  fall. 

"Well  done!"  signalled  Admiral  Sampson  to  Lieu- 
tenant-Commander Delehanty. 

At  11.30  General  Duffield  signalled  that  his  scouts 
reported  that  no  damage  had  been  done  to  the  Spanish 


ADMIRAL    W.    T.    SAMPSON. 


EL  CANEY  AND  SAN  JUAN  HEIGHTS.    243 

rifle-pits  by  the  shells  from  the  ships,  and  Admiral 
Sampson  told  him  they  had  been  hit  several  times,  but 
that  there  was  no  one  in  the  pits.  However,  the 
Suwanee  was  ordered  to  fire  a  few  more  shots  in  their 
direction. 

At  12. 1 8  P.M.  the  New  York  having  discontinued 
fire  at  Aguadores,  commenced  firing  8-inch  shells 
clear  over  the  gully  into  the  city  of  Santiago  de  Cuba. 
Every  five  minutes  the  shells  went  roaring  over  the 
hillside.  What  destruction  they  wrought  it  was  im- 
possible to  tell,  as  the  smoke  hid  everything.  In  reply 
to  General  Duffield's  question  : 

"  What  is  the  news  ? " 

Admiral  Sampson  replied : 

"  There  is  not  a  Spaniard  left  in  the  rifle-pits." 

Later  General  Duffield  signalled  that  his  scouts 
thought  reinforcements  were  marching  to  the  battered 
old  fort,  and  Admiral  Sampson  wigwagged  him  : 

"  There  is  no  Spaniard  left  there.  If  any  come  the 
Gloucester  will  take  care  of  them.'' 

A  little  later  the  Oregon  joined  the  New  York  in- 
tending 8-inch  shells  into  the  city  of  Santiago.  This 
was  kept  up  until  1.40  P.M.  By  that  time  General 
Duffield  had  sent  a  message  saying  that  his  troops 
could  not  cross  the  stream,  but  would  return  to  Altares. 

On  the  report  that  some  Spanish  troops  were  still 
in  the  gully,  the  New^  York  and  Gloucester  shelled  it 
once  more,  and  ihe-$kwar&,  which  had  not  fired, 
signalled : 


244  THE  BOYS  OF  '98- 

"  Can  I  fire  for  target  practice  ?  Have  had  no 
previous  opportunity." 

Permission  for  her  to  do  so  was  signalled,  and  she 
blazed  away,  shooting  well,  her  6-inch  shells  exploding 
with  remarkable  force  among  the  rocks. 

At  2.40  P.  M.  Admiral  Sampson  hoisted  the  signal  to 
cease  firing,  and  the  flag-ship  returned  to  the  blockad- 
ing station. 

On  the  railroad  a  train-load  of  troops  had  already  left 
for  Altares. 

Mr.  A.  Maurice  Low,  of  the  Boston  Globe,  thus  relates 
his  personal  experience : 

"When  the  fighting  ceased  on  Friday  evening,  July 
ist,  every  man  was  physically  spent,  and  needed  food 
and  rest  more  than  anything  else.  For  a  majority  of 
the  troops  there  was  a  chance  to  cook  bacon  and  make 
coffee ;  for  the  men  of  the  hospital  corps,  the  work  of 
the  day  was  commencing.  At  convenient  points  hospi- 
tals were  established,  and  men  from  every  company 
were  sent  out  to  search  the  battle-ground  for  the  dead 
and  wounded. 

"  It  is  the  men  of  the  hospital  corps  who  have  the 
ghastly  side  of  war.  There  is  never  any  popular  glory 
for  them  ;  there  is  no  passion  of  excitement  to  sustain 
them.  The  emotion  of  battle  keeps  a  man  up  under 
fire.  Something  in  the  air  makes  even  a  coward  brave. 
But  all  that  is  wanting  when  the  surgeons  go  into 
action. 


EL  CANEY  AND  SAN  JUAN  HEIGHTS.    245 

"  Men  come  staggering  into  the  hospital  with  blood 
dripping  from  their  wounds ;  squads  of  four  follow  one 
another  rapidly,  bearing  stretchers  and  blankets,  on 
which  are  limp,  motionless,  groaning  forms. 

"  To  those  of  us  at  home  who  are  in  the  habit  of 
seeing  our  sick  and  injured  treated  with  the  utmost 
consideration  and  delicacy,  who  see  the  poor  and  out- 
cast and  criminal  put  into  clean  beds  and  surrounded 
with  luxuries,  the  way  in  which  the  wounded  on  a 
battle-field  are  disposed  of  seems  barbarous  in  the 
extreme.  Of  course  it  is  unavoidable,  but  it  is  never- 
theless horrible. 

"  As  soon  as  men  were  brought  in  they  were  at  once 
taken  off  the  litters  and  placed  on  the  bare  ground. 
Time  was  too  precious,  and  there  were  too  many  men 
needing  attention  for  a  soldier  to  monopolise  a  stretcher 
until  the  surgeon  could  reach  him. 

"  There  was  no  shelter.  The  men  lay  on  the  bare 
ground  with  the  sun  streaming  down  on  them,  many 
of  them  suffering  the  greatest  agony,  and  yet  very  few 
giving  utterance  to  a  groan.  Where  I  watched  opera- 
tions for  a  time  there  was  only  one  surgeon,  who  took 
every  man  in  his  turn,  and  necessarily  had  to  make 
many  of  them  wait  a  long  time. 

"  And  yet  these  men  were  much  more  fortunate  than 
many  others,  some  of  whom  lay  on  the  battle-field  for 
twenty-four  hours  before  they  were  found.  There  was 
no  chloroform  ;  very  little  of  anything  to  numb  pain. 
Painful  gunshot  wounds  were  dressed  hastily,  almost 


246  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

roughly,   until  ambulances  could  be  sent  out  to  take 
the  men  to  the  divisional  hospitals  in  the  rear. 

"  It  is  claimed  that  the  hospital  arrangements  were 
inadequate,  and  that  many  regiments  went  into  action 
without  a  surgeon.  From  what  I  saw  I  think  the 
criticism  to  be  justified.  Naturally  the  wounded  were 
taken  care  of  first,  —  the  last  duties  to  the  dead  could 
be  performed  later. 

"  It  was  ghastly  as  one  moved  over  the  battle-field  to 
come  across  an  upturned  face  lying  in  a  pool  of  blood, 
to  see  what  was  once  a  man,  bent,  and  twisted,  and 
doubled.  And  still  more  horrible  was  it  as  the  moon- 
light fell  over  the  field,  and  at  unexpected  places  one 
ran  against  this  fruit  of  war  and  saw  faces  in  the  pallor 
of  death  made  even  more  ghostlike  by  the  light,  while 
the  inevitable  sea  of  crimson  stood  out  in  more  startling 
vividness  by  the  contrast. 

"We  had  won  the  battle,  but  our  position  was  a 
somewhat  precarious  one. 

"  Our  line  was  long  and  thin,  and  there  was  a  danger 
of  the  Spaniards  breaking  through  and  attacking  us  in 
the  rear  or  left  flank.  To  guard  against  this  possibility, 
Lawton's  division  at  El  Caney  was  ordered  to  move  on 
to  El  Pozo,  and  Kent's  division  was  under  orders  to 
draw  in  its  left.  The  men  who  had  fought  at  El  Caney 
were  hoping  to  be  allowed  to  sleep  on  the  battle-field 
and  obtain  the  rest  which  they  so  badly  needed,  but 
after  supper  they  were  placed  under  arms  and  the 
march  commenced. 


EL    CANEY    AND    SAN    JUAN    HEIGHTS.  247 

"The  Seventh  U.  S.  Infantry  led.  It  was  a  weird 
march.  Immediately  after  leaving  El  Caney  we  crossed 
an  open  field,  a  skirmish  line  was  thrown  out,  and  the 
men  were  commanded  to  maintain  absolute  silence. 
We  were  in  the  heart  of  the  enemy's  country,  and 
caution  was  necessary. 

"After  crossing  this  field  we  came  to  a  deep  gully 
through  which  ran  a  swift  stream  almost  knee-deep. 
Our  way  led  across  this  stream,  and  there  was  only 
one  means  of  getting  over.  That  was  to  plunge  in 
and  splash  through.  Tired  as  we  all  were,  after  getting 
thoroughly  wet  our  feet  felt  like  lead,  and  marching 
was  perfect  torture.  Still  there  was  no  let-up. 

"  We  pressed  steadily  forward  until  we  came  to  where 
the  road  forked  off.  Our  directions  had  not  been  very 
explicit,  we  had  no  maps,  and  our  commander  took  the 
road  which  he  thought  was  the  right  one.  It  soon  led 
between  high  banks  of  dense  growth  of  chaparral  on 
either  side.  The  moon  had  disappeared  behind  the 
clouds,  and  had  the  Spaniards  wanted  to  ambuscade 
us  we  were  at  their  mercy. 

"  I  will  not  say  that  we  were  nervous,  exactly,  but  I 
think  we  would  all  rather  have  been  out  of  that  lane. 
The  fear  that  your  enemy  may  be  crouching  behind 
bushes,  that  you  know  nothing  of  his  presence  until 
he  pours  a  rifle  fire  into  you,  is  rather  trying  on  the 
nerves. 

"  The  command  was  frequently  halted  for  the  officers 
to  consult,  and  after  we  had  gone  about  a  mile  they 


248  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

concluded  they  were  on  the  wrong  road,  and  went  to 
the  right  about.  When  we  came  out  where  we  had 
started  we  found  Brigadier  -  General  Chaff ee  sitting 
silent  on  a  big  horse  and  watching  a  seemingly  never- 
ending  line  of  men  marching  past  him.  We  fell  into 
position  and  pushed  on  the  road  to  Santiago. 

"  How  long  we  marched  that  night  I  cannot  tell.  It 
seemed  interminable.  My  watch  had  run  down  and  no 
one  around  me  had  the  time.  Finally  we  were  ordered 
to  halt,  and  the  men  were  told  to  stack  arms,  take  off 
their  packs,  and  rest. 

"  I  dropped  my  blanket  roll,  which  seemed  to  me 
weighed  not  less  than  two  hundred  pounds,  on  the 
muddy  road,  and  sat  down  to  rest.  The  next  thing 
I  knew  some  one  tapped  me  on  the  shoulder.  It  was 
three  o'clock,  and  I  had  been  asleep  for  some  hours. 
The  regiment  was  again  under  arms,  and  was  receiving 
ammunition  from  a  pack-train  which  had  come  up  from 
the  rear.  We  pressed  on  until  early  dawn,  when  we 
were  well  in  front  of  Santiago.  Entrenchments  were 
hastily  thrown  up,  and  we  were  ready  for  the  enemy. 
The  enemy  did  not  give  us  much  time  for  rest.  They 
made  an  assault  upon  our  position  early  in  the  morning, 
which  we  repulsed.  .  .  . 

"While  the  Spaniards  were  unable  to  dislodge  us, 
they  succeeded  in  forcing  our  artillery  back,  which  had 
taken  a  position  that  subjected  it  to  a  withering  infantry 
fire.  Later  in  the  day  this  position  was  recovered  and 
entrenchments  thrown  up,  which,  it  was  claimed,  made 


EL  CANEY  AND  SAN  JUAN  HEIGHTS.     249 

the  position  impregnable.     The  guns  were  so  placed 
they  could  do  tremendous  destruction. 

"  There  was  a  lull  that  afternoon,  but  in  the  evening 
the  Spaniards  opened  up  an  attack  along  our  entire  line, 
with  the  intention,  evidently,  of  taking  us  by  surprise  and 
rushing  us  out  of  our  entrenchments.  But  their  purpose 
was  a  failure." 

General  Lawton,  in  his  report  after  the  assault  upon 
and  the  capture  of  El  Caney  by  his  division  during  the 
first  day's  fighting,  says  : 

"  It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  call  attention  to  this 
peculiar  phase  of  the  battle. 

"  It  was  fought  against  an  enemy  fortified  and  en- 
trenched within  a  compact  town  of  stone  and  concrete 
houses,  some  with  walls  several  feet  thick,  and  sup- 
ported by  a  number  of  covered  solid  stone  forts,  and 
the  enemy  continued  to  resist  until  nearly  every  man 
was  killed  or  wounded,  with  a  seemingly  desperate 
resolution." 

It  was  Sergeant  McKinnery,  of  Company  B,  Ninth 
Infantry,  who  shot  and  disabled  General  Linares,  the 
commander  of  the  Spanish  forces  in  Santiago.  The 
Spanish  general  was  hit  about  an  hour  after  San  Juan 
Hill  was  taken,  during  the  first  day's  fighting.  The 
American  saw  a  Spaniard,  evidently  a  general  officer, 
followed  by  his  staff,  riding  frantically  about  the  Spanish 
position,  rallying  his  men. 


250  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

Sergeant  McKinnery  asked  Lieutenant  Wiser's  per- 
mission to  try  a  shot  at  the  officer,  and  greatly  regretted 
to  find  the  request  refused.  Major  Bole  was  consulted. 
He  acquiesced,  with  the  injunction  that  no  one  else 
should  fire.  Sergeant  McKinnery  slipped  a  shell  into 
his  rifle,  adjusted  the  sights  for  one  thousand  yards, 
and  fired.  The  shell  fell  short.  Then  he  put  in 
another,  raised  the  sights  for  another  one  thousand 
yards,  took  careful  aim,  and  let  her  go.  The  officer  on 
the  white  horse  threw  up  his  arms  and  fell  forward. 

"That  is  for  Corporal  Joyce,"  said  McKinnery  as  he 
saw  that  his  ball  had  reached  the  mark.  The  officer  on 
the  white  horse  was  General  Linares  himself.  It  was 
afterward  learned  that  he  was  shot  in  the  left  shoulder. 
He  immediately  relinquished  the  command  to  General 
Toral. 

On  the  evening  of  July  3d,  General  Shafter  sent 
the  following  cablegram  to  the  War  Department : 

"  HEADQUARTERS  FIFTH  ARMY  CORPS, 

"NEAR  SANTIAGO. 

"  To-night  my  lines  completely  surrounded  the  town 
from  beyond  the  north  of  the  city  to  point  of  San  Juan 
River  on  the  south.  The  enemy  holds  from  west  bend 
San  Juan  River  at  its  mouth  up  the  railroad  to  the  city. 
General  Pando,  I  find  to-night,  is  some  distance  away, 
and  will  not  get  into  Santiago. 

(Signed)         "  SHAFTER." 


EL   CANEY    AND   SAN    JUAN    HEIGHTS.          251 

July  4th  Secretary  Alger  received  the  communication 
given  below : 

"  HEADQUARTERS  FIFTH  ARMY  CORPS,  July  3. 
"  The  following  is  my  demand  for  the  surrender  of 
the  city  of  Santiago  : 

" '  HEADQUARTERS  U.  S.  FORCES,  NEAR  SAN  JUAN 

RIVER,  CUBA,  July  3,  1898,  8.30  A.  M. 
"'To  THE  COMMANDING  GENERAL  OF  THE  SPANISH 

FORCES,  Santiago  de  Cuba. 

" « Sir:  —  I  shall  be  obliged,  unless  you  surrender,  to 
shell  Santiago  de  Cuba.  Please  inform  the  citizens  of 
foreign  countries  and  all  women  and  children  that  they 
should  leave  the  city  before  ten  o'clock  to-morrow 
morning.  Very  respectfully, 

"  '  Your  obedient  servant, 
"«W.  R.  SHAFTER, 

"  <  Major-General,  U.  S.  A.' 

"  Following  is  the  Spanish  reply  which  Colonel  Dorst 
has  returned  at  6.30  P.  M.  : 


"  'SANTIAGO  DE  CUBA,  2  P.  M.,  July  3,    I 

" '  His    EXCELLENCY,    THE     GENERAL     COMMANDING 

FORCES  OF  UNITED  STATES,  San  Juan  River. 
" '  Sir:  —  I  have  the  honour  to  reply  to  your  com- 
munication of  to-day,  written  at  8.30  A.  M.  and  received 
at  i  P.  M.,  demanding  the  surrender  of  this  city  ;  on  the 


252  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

contrary  case  announcing  to  me  that  you  will  bombard 
this  city,  and  that  I  advise  the  foreigners,  women,  and 
children  that  they  must  leave  the  city  before  ten  o'clock 
to-morrow  morning.  It  is  my  duty  to  say  to  you  that 
this  city  will  not  surrender,  and  that  I  will  inform  the 
foreign  consuls  and  inhabitants  of  the  contents  of  your 
message. 

" '  Very  respectfully, 

"<  JOSE  TORAL, 
"  '  Commander-in-chief y  Fourth  Corps! 

"The  British,  Portuguese,  Chinese,  and  Norwegian 
consuls  have  come  to  my  line  with  Colonel  Dorst. 
They  ask  if  non-combatants  can  occupy  the  town  of 
Caney  and  railroad  points,  and  ask  until  ten  o'clock  of 
fifth  instant  before  city  is  fired  on.  They  claim  that 
there  are  between  fifteen  thousand  and  twenty  thousand 
people,  many  of  them  old,  who  will  leave.  They  ask 
if  I  can  supply  them  with  food,  which  I  cannot  do  for 
want  of  transportation  to  Caney,  which  is  fifteen  miles 
from  my  landing.  The  following  is  my  reply : 

" '  THE  COMMANDING  GENERAL  SPANISH  FORCES, 

"  '  Santiago  de  Cuba. 

"'Sir:  —  In  consideration  of  the  request  of  the 
consuls  and  officers  in  your  city  for  delay  in  carrying 
out  my  intention  to  fire  on  the  city,  and  in  the  interest 
of  the  poor  women  and  children,  who  will  suffer  very 
greatly  by  their  hasty  and  enforced  departure  from  the 


EL    CANEY    AND    SAN    JUAN    HEIGHTS.          253 

city,  I  have  the  honour  to  announce  that  I  will  delay 
such  action  solely  in  their  interest  until  noon  of  the 
fifth,  providing,  during  the  interval,  your  forces  make 
no  demonstration  whatever  upon  those  of  my  own.  I 
am,  with  great  respect, 

"  '  Your  obedient  servant, 
"<W.  R.  SHAFTER, 

"  « Major-General  U.  S.  A? 
(Signed)         "  SHAFTER, 

" Major-General  Commanding" 


CHAPTER   XII. 

THE    SPANISH    FLEET. 

"  Don't  cheer ;  the  poor  devils  are  dying" 

IT  was  Sunday  morning  (July  3d),  and  the  American 
squadron  lay  off  Santiago  Harbour  intent  only  on 
blockade  duty.  No  signs  of  life  were  visible  about  old 
Morro.  Beyond  and  toward  the  city  all  was  still.  After 
two  days  of  fighting  the  armies  of  both  nations  were 
resting  in  their  trenches. 

The  fleet  had  drifted  three  miles  or  more  from  the 
land.  The  battle-ship  Massachusetts,  the  protected 
cruiser  New  Orleans,  and  Commodore  Watson's  flag- 
ship, the  cruiser  Newark,  were  absent,  coaling  fifty 
miles  or  more  away. 

Shortly  before  nine  o'clock  Admiral  Sampson,  desir- 
ing to  ascertain  the  exact  condition  of  the  Spanish 
coast  defences  about  Aguadores,  ordered  the  flag-ship 
to  go  that  way,  and  after  flying  the  signal,  "  Disregard 
the  motions  of  the  commander-in-chief,"  the  New  York 
steamed  leisurely  off  to  the  eastward. 

The  little  Gloucester  lay  nearest  the  shore  ;  the  Vixen 
was  opposite  in  a  straight  line,  and  to  the  eastward  of 
her  about  five  miles.  A  mile  or  less  from  the  Gloucester. 

254 


GENERAL    WEYLER. 


THE    SPANISH    FLEET.  255 

to  the  seaward,  was  the  Indiana.  Nearly  as  far  from 
the  latter  ship,  and  southeast  of  her,  lay  the  Oregon. 
The  Iowa  was  the  outermost  ship  of  the  fleet,  lying 
four  miles  from  the  harbour  entrance ;  next  her,  to  the 
eastward,  each  vessel  slightly  nearer  inshore,  were  the 
Texas  and  the  Brooklyn  in  the  order  named. 

Shoreward,  inside  the  harbour,  could  be  seen  a  long 
line  of  black  smoke.  On  board  the  fleet  religious 
services  were  being  held,  but  the  lookouts  of  every 
ship  were  at  their  stations. 

Suddenly,  at  about  half  past  nine,  a  dark  hull  was 
seen  coming  out  past  the  point  of  the  harbour,  and 
instantly  all  was  seemingly  confusion  on  the  big  fight- 
ing machines. 

"The  enemy  is  escaping,"  was  the  signal  run  up  on 
Commodore  Schley's  flag-ship,  and  within  a  few  seconds 
the  roar  of  a  6-pounder  on  the  Iowa  broke  the  stillness 
of  the  Sabbath  morning. 

It  was  as  if  every  American  vessel  was  put  in  motion 
at  the  same  instant,  and  even  as  the  flag-ship's  signal 
appeared,  the  clouds  of  dense  smoke  from  their  stacks 
told  that  the  men  in  the  furnace-rooms  had  already 
begun  their  portion  of  the  task  so  unexpectedly  set  for 
all  the  fleet. 

John  R.  Spear,  author  of  "The  History  of  our 
Navy,"  who  was  with  Sampson's  fleet,  wrote  this  com- 
plete story  of  the  marvellous  naval  battle  off  Santiago 
and  along  the  southern  shore  of  Cuba,  for  the  World: 

"The  enemy  was  first  seen  at  9.30,  and  at  9.32  the 


256  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

men  of  the  American  batteries  were  standing  erect 
and  silent  beside  their  loaded  guns,  waiting  for  the 
order  to  commence  firing,  and  watching  out  of  the 
corners  of  their  eyes  the  boys  who  were  still  sprinkling 
the  decks  with  sand  that  no  one's  foot  might  slip  when 
blood  began  to  flow  across  the  planks. 

"  But  though  silence  prevailed  among  the  guns,  down 
in  the  sealed  stoke-hole  the  click  and  ring  of  the  shovels 
that  sprayed  the  coal  over  the  glowing  grate-bars,  the 
song  of  the  fans  that  raised  the  air  pressure,  and 
the  throb  of  pump  and  engine  made  music  for  the 
whole  crew,  for  the  steam-gauges  were  climbing,  and 
the  engineers  were  standing  by  the  wide-open  throttles 
as  the  ships  were  driven  straight  at  the  enemy. 

"  For,  as  it  happened,  the  Texas  had  been  lying  di- 
rectly off  the  harbour,  and  a  little  more  than  two  miles 
away  the  Iowa  was  but  a  few  lengths  farther  out  and  to 
the  westward,  while  Capt.  Jack  Philip  of  the  one,  and 
« Fighting  Bob '  Evans  of  the  other,  were  both  on 
deck  when  the  cry  was  raised  announcing  the  enemy. 
Hastening3  to  their  bridges,  they  headed  away  at  once 
for  the  Spaniards,  while  the  Oregon  and  the  Brooklyn 
went  flying  to  westward  to  intercept  the  leader. 

"The  mightiest  race  known  to  the  history  of  the 
world,  and  the  most  thrilling,  was  begun. 

"  They  were  all  away  in  less  time  than  it  has  taken  the 
reader  to  get  thus  far  in  the  story,  and  in  much  less 
time  still, —  indeed,  before  the  gongs  in  the  engine- 
rooms  of  the  Yankee  ships  had  ceased  to  vibrate 


CAPTAIN    R.    D.    EVANS. 


THE    SPANISH    FLEET.  257 

under  the  imperative  order  of  '  Ahead,  full  speed  ! ' 
—  the  Almirante  Oquendo,  fugitive  as  she  was,  had 
opened  the  battle.  With  impetuous  haste,  and  while  yet 
more  than  two  miles  away,  the  Spaniard  pointed  one  of 
his  long  1 1 -inch  hontoria  rifles  in  the  direction  of 
the  Texas  and  pulled  the  lanyard.  The  shell  came 
shrieking  out  to  sea,  but  to  sea  only. 

"Instantly  the  great  guns  of  the  Morro,  180  feet 
above  the  water,  and  those  of  the  Socapa  battery, 
lying  higher  still,  with  all  the  batteries  beneath  those 
two,  began  to  belch  and  roar  as  their  crews  strove  with 
frantic  energy  to  aid  the  flying  squadron. 

"  Now,  it  was  about  three  minutes  from  the  appearance 
of  the  first  Spaniard  to  the  firing  of  the  first  American 
gun. 

"  In  these  three  minutes  the  distance  between  the 
squadrons  was  lessened  by  at  least  a  mile,  —  the  range 
was  not  more  than  two  thousand  yards. 

"  But  while  two  thousand  yards  is  the  range  (about 
one  and  one-sixth  miles)  selected  for  great  gun  target 
practice,  it  will  never  do  for  an  eager  fight,  and  as  the 
trend  of  the  land  still  headed  the  Spanish  off  to  south- 
ward, the  battle-ships  were  able  to  reduce  the  range  to 
fifteen  hundred  yards  before  they  were  obliged  to  head 
a  course  parallel  with  the  Spaniards. 

"  Meantime  the  Oregon  and  the  Brooklyn,  as  they  were 
stretching  away  toward  the  coast,  had  opened  fire  also, 
and  then  the  last  of  the  big  Spaniards,  the  Infanta 
Maria  Teresa,  having  rounded  the  point,  the  magnifi- 


258  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

cent  spectacle  of  a  squadron  battle  on  the  open  sea  — 
of  a  battle  between  four  of  the  best  modern  armed 
cruisers  on  the  Spanish  side,  against  three  battle-ships 
and  an  armoured  cruiser  on  our  side  —  was  spread  out 
to  view. 

"  And  their  best  was  the  worst  struggle  the  world 
ever  saw,  for  it  was  a  struggle  to  get  out  of  range 
while  firing  with  hysterical  vehemence  their  unaimed 
guns. 

"  The  first  shot  from  the  American  ships  fell  short, 
and  a  second,  in  like  fashion,  dropped  into  the  sea.  At 
that  the  gunner  said  things  to  himself  under  his  breath 
(it  was  in  the  forward  turret  of  the  f<?zva),  and  tried  it 
once  more. 

"  For  a  moment  after  it  the  cloud  of  gun  smoke 
shrouded  the  turret,  but  as  that  thinned  away  the  eager 
crew  saw  the  1 2-inch  shell  strike  into  the  hull  of  the 
Infanta  Maria  Teresa.  Instantly  it  exploded  with 
tremendous  effect.  Flame  and  smoke  belched  from 
the  hole  the  shell  had  made,  and  puffed  from  port  and 
hatch.  And  then  in  the  wake  of  the  driven  blast  rolled 
up  a  volume  of  flame-streaked  smoke  that  showed  the 
woodwork  had  taken  fire  and  was  burning  fiercely  all 
over  the  after  part  of  the  stricken  ship. 

"  The  yell  that  rose  from  the  Yankee  throats  at  that 
sight  swelled  to  a  roar  of  triumph  a  moment  later,  for 
as  he  saw  that  smoke,  the  captain  of  the  Teresa  threw 
her  helm  over  to  port,  and  headed  her  for  the  rocky 
beach.  The  one  shell  had  given  a  mortal  wound. 


THE    SPANISH    FLEET.  259 

"  And  then  came  Wainwright  of  the  Maine,  —  Lieut.- 
Commander  Richard  Wainwright,  who  for  weeks  con- 
ducted the  weary  search  for  the  dead  bodies  of  ship- 
mates on  the  wreck  in  the  harbour  of  Havana.  He 
was  captain  of  the  Gloucester,  that  was  once  known  as 
the  yacht  Corsair.  A  swift  and  beautiful  craft  she,  but 
only  armed  with  lean  6-pounders. 

"  « Ahead,  full  speed/  said  Wainwright. 

"  And  fortune  once  more  favoured  the  brave,  for  in  the 
wake  of  the  mighty  Maria  Teresa  came  Spain's  two  big 
torpedo-boats,  called  destroyers,  because  of  their  size, 
—  the  Pluton  and  the  Furor.  Either  was  more  than  a 
match  for  the  Gloucester,  for  one  carried  two  12- 
pounders,  and  the  other  two  14-pounders,  besides  the 
6-pounders  that  both  carried. 

"  Moreover,  both  overmatched  the  speed  of  the 
Gloucester  by  at  least  ten  knots  per  hour.  But  both 
had  thin-plated  sides.  The  shells  of  the  Gloucester 
could  pierce  them,  and  at  them  went  Wainwright,  with 
the  memory  of  that  night  in  Havana  uppermost  in  his 
mind. 

"  The  two  boats  —  even  the  whole  Spanish  fleet  — 
were  still  within  easy  range  of  the  Spanish  forts,  and  to 
reach  his  choice  of  enemies  the  Gloucester  was  obliged 
to  risk  not  only  the  land  fire,  but  that  of  the  Vizcaya 
and  the  Teresa.  Nevertheless,  as  the  torpedo-boats 
steered  toward  the  Brooklyn,  evidently  bound  to  tor- 
pedo her,  Wainwright  headed  them  off,  and  they  never 
got  beyond  range  of  the  forts. 


26O  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

"The  shots  they  threw  at  him  outweighed  his  three 
to  one,  but  theirs  flew  wild,  and  his  struck  home. 

"  The  day  of  the  destroyers  was  done.  As  the  big 
Maria  Teresa  turned  toward  the  shore,  these  two 
destroyers,  like  stricken  wild  fowl,  fled  fluttering  and 
splashing  in  the  same  direction,  and  they  floundered  as 
they  fled. 

"  While  the  Infanta  Maria  Teresa  was  on  fire,  and 
running  for  the  beach,  her  crew  was  still  working  their 
guns,  and  the  big  Vizcaya  was  handily  by  to  double  the 
storm  of  projectiles  she  was  hurling  at  the  Iowa  and 
Texas, 

"  It  was  not  that  the  Vizcaya's  crew  were  manfully 
striving  to  protect  the  Teresa ;  they  were  making  the 
snarling,  clawing  fight  of  a  lifetime  to  escape  the  relent- 
less Yankees  that  were  closing  upon  them.  For  both 
the  Texas  and  the  Iowa  had  the  range,  and  it  was  only 
when  the  smoke  of  their  own  guns  blinded  them  that 
their  fire  was  withheld,  or  a  shot  went  astray. 

"  The  Iowa  and  the  Texas  had  headed  off  both  the 
Vizcaya  and  the  Infanta  Maria  Teresa,  while  the  Indi- 
ana was  coming  with  tremendous  speed  to  join  them. 

"And  then  came  the  finishing  stroke.  A  1 2-inch 
shell  from  the  Texas  went  crashing  into  the  stoke-hole, 
and  the  Vizcaya,  —  the  ship  whose  beauty  and  power 
once  thrilled  the  hearts  of  New  Yorkers  with  mingled 
pleasure  and  fear  —  was  mortally  wounded.  Hope 
was  gone,  and  with  helm  aport  she  headed  away  for  the 
beach,  as  her  consort  had  done. 


THE    SPANISH    FLEET.  26 1 

"The  battle  had  opened  on  our  side  at  9.33  o'clock, 
and  at  9.58  two  of  the  magnificent  armoured  cruisers  of 
the  Spanish  navy  were  quivering,  flaming  wrecks  on  the 
Cuban  beach,  with  the  Texas  rounding  to  less  than  a 
thousand  yards  away  off  the  stern  of  the  Vizcaya. 

"  For  a  moment  the  Texas  tarried  there  to  let  the 
smoke  clear,  and  to  see  accurately  the  condition  of 
the  enemy,  but  while  her  gunners  were  taking  aim  for 
a  final  broadside  a  half-naked  quartermaster  on  the  Viz- 
caya, with  clawing  hands  on  the  halliards,  hauled  down 
the  fever-hued  ensign  from  her  peak  and  hoisted  the 
white  flag  instead. 

"  «  Cease  firing  ! '  commanded  Captain  Jack  Philip  of 
the  Texas. 

"  So  far  as  the  Vizcaya  and  the  Infanta  Maria  Teresa 
were  concerned,  the  battle  —  and  for  that  matter  the 
war  —  was  ended. 

"  Huge  volumes  of  black  smoke,  edged  with  red 
flame,  rolled  from  every  port  and  shot  hole  of  the  Viz- 
caya, as  from  the  Teresa.  They  were  both  furnaces  of 
glowing  fire.  Though  they  had  come  from  the  harbour 
to  certain  battle,  not  a  wooden  bulkhead,  nor  a  parti- 
tion in  the  quarters  either  of  officers  or  men  had  been 
taken  out,  nor  had  trunks  and  chests  been  sent  ashore. 
Neither  had  the  wooden  decks  nor  any  other  wooden 
fixtures  been  prepared  to  resist  fire.  Apparently  the 
crew  had  not  even  wet  down  the  decks. 

"  But  the  Texas  tarried  at  this  gruesome  scene  only 
for  a  moment.  They  wished  only  to  make  sure  that 


262  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

the  two  Spaniards  were  really  out  of  the  fight,  and 
when  they  saw  the  Iowa  was  going  to  stand  by  both, 
away  they  went  to  join  the  race  between  the  Brooklyn 
and  the  Oregon  on  our  side,  and  the  Cristobal  Colon 
and  Almirante  Oquendo  on  the  other. 

"  In  spite  of  the  original  superior  speed  on  the  part 
of  the  Spaniards,  and  in  spite  of  the  delay  on  the  part 
of  the  Texas,  the  Spaniards  were  not  yet  wholly  out  of 
range,  though  the  Cristobal  Colon  was  reaching  away  at 
a  speed  that  gave  the  Spanish  shore  forces  hope. 

"  Under  battened  hatches  the  Yankee  firemen, 
stripped  to  their  trousers,  plied  their  shovels  and 
raised  the  steam-gauges  higher.  The  Yankee  ships 
were  grass-grown  and  barnacled,  but  now  they  were 
driven  as  never  before  since  their  trial  trips.  The 
Spaniards  had  called  us  pigs,  but  Nemesis  had  turned 
us  into  spear-armed  huntsmen  in  chase  of  game  that 
neither  tusks  nor  legs  could  save. 

"  For  while  the  Colon  was  showing  a  speed  that  was 
the  equal  at  least  of  our  own  Brooklyn,  long-headed 
Commodore  Schley  saw  that  she  was  hugging  the 
coast,  although  a  point  of  land  loomed  in  the  distance 
to  cut  her  off  or  drive  her  out  to.  sea. 

"  Instead  of  striving  to  close  in  on  the  Spaniards, 
Schley  headed  straight  for  that  point,  —  took  the  short- 
est cut  for  it,  so  to  speak,  —  and  in  that  way  drew 
steadily  ahead  of  the  Colon,  leaving  to  the  Oregon  and 
Texas  the  task  of  holding  the  Spaniards  from  turning 
out  across  the  Brooklyn's  stern. 


THE    SPANISH    FLEET.  263 

"  It  was  a  splendid  piece  of  strategy,  well  worthy  of 
the  gallant  officer,  and  it  won. 

"  The  task  of  the  battle-ships  was  well  within  their 
powers.  It  is  not  without  reason  that  both  the  Oregon 
and  the  Texas  are  the  pride  of  the  nation  as  well  as  of 
their  crews. 

"  The  Oregon  and  the  Brooklyn  had  hurled  a  relent- 
less fire  at  the  flying  Spaniards,  and  it  had  told  on 
the  Almirante  Oquendo  with  increasing  effect. 

"  For  the  Oregon  was  fair  on  the  Oquendo  s  beam, 
and  there  was  not  enough  armour  on  any  Spanish  ship 
to  stop  the  massive  1 3-inch  projectiles  the  ship  from 
the  Pacific  was  driving  into  her  with  unerring  aim. 

"At  ten  o'clock  sharp  the  Oquendo  was  apparently 
still  fore  and  aft,  but  within  five  minutes  she  wavered 
and  lagged,  and  a  little  later,  flag-ship  though  she  was, 
she  put  her  helm  to  port,  as  her  consorts  had  done,  and 
fled  for  life  to  the  beach. 

"  The  Texas  was  coming  with  unflagging  speed  astern, 
and  off  to  the  east  could  be  seen  the  flag-ship  of 
Admiral  Sampson  racing  as  never  before  to  get  a 
shot  in  at  the  finish.  An  auxiliary  had  been  sent  by 
Commodore  Schley  to  call  her,  and  it  had  met  her 
coming  at  the  call  of  the  guns  of  the  Spanish  fleet. 
She  had  overhauled  and  passed  the  Indiana  long  since, 
and  was  well-nigh  abreast  of  the  Texas.  So  the  Oregon, 
in  order  to  vie  with  the  New  York  in  the  last  of  the 
mighty  race,  abandoned  the  Oquendo  to  her  fate  and 
stretched  away  after  the  Cristobal  Colon. 


264  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

"  Some  of  the  crew  who  looked  back  saw  the  Texas 
bring  to  near  the  Oquendo,  and  then  the  sea  trembled 
under  the  impulse  of  a  tremendous  explosion  on  board 
the  doomed  Spaniard,  while  a  vast  volume  of  smoke 
filled  with  splintered  wreck  rose  in  the  air.  Had  they 
been  near  enough  they  would  have  heard  the  crew  of  the 
Texas  start  in  to  cheer,  and  have  heard  as  well  the  voice 
of  Captain  Philip  say,  as  he  raised  his  hand  to  check  it : 

"  '  Don't  cheer  ;  the  poor  devils  are  dying.' ' 

"Only  a  man  fit  to  command  could  have  had  that 
thought. 

"  The  battle  was  well-nigh  over.  But  one  ship  of  the 
Spanish  squadron  remained,  and  she  was  now  in  the 
last  desperate  struggle,  —  the  flurry  of  a  monster  of 
the  deep.  Her  officers  peered  with  frowning  brows 
through  gilded  glasses  at  the  Brooklyn  forging  ahead 
far  off  their  port  bow ;  at  the  Oregon  within  range  off 
the  port  quarter ;  at  the  New  York  just  getting  the 
range  with  her  beautiful  8-inch  rifles  astern.  They 
shivered  in  unison  with  the  quivering  hulk  as  shot 
after  shot  struck  home.  They  screamed  at  their  crews 
and  stamped  and  fumed.  At  the  guns  their  crews 
worked  with  drunken  desperation,  but  down  in  the 
stoke-hole  the  firemen  plied  their  shovels  with  a  will 
and  a  skill  that  formed  the  most  surprising  feature  of 
the  Spanish  side  of  the  battle.  Because  of  them  this 
was  a  race  worthy  of  the  American  mettle,  for  it  put 
to  the  full  test  the  powers  of  the  men  of  the  three 
ships  in  chase. 


THE    SPANISH    FLEET.  265 

"  In  the  open  sea  they  might  have  led  the  Yankees 
for  an  hour  or  more  beyond,  but  the  strategy  of  Schley 
had  cut  them  off,  and  yet  it  was  not  until  1.15  o'clock 
—  three  hours  and  three-quarters  after  the  first  gun  of 
the  Oquendo  —  that  the  Colons  gallant  captain  lost  all 
hope,  and,  from  a  race  to  save  the  ship,  turned  to  the 
work  of  destroying  her,  so  that  we  should  not  be  able 
to  float  the  stars  and  stripes  above  her. 

"The  Oregon  had  drawn  up  abeam  of  her,  and  was 
about  a  mile  away.  The  shots  from  the  New  York 
tastern  were  beginning  to  tell,  and  those  from  the 
Brooklyn  had  all  along  been  smiting  her  in  the  face. 

"  Baffled  and  beaten  she  turned  to  the  shore,  ran  hard 
aground  near  Tarquino  Point,  fifty  miles  from  Santiago, 
and  then  hauled  down  her  flag. 

"  The  most  powerful  sea  force  that  ever  fought  under 
the  American  flag  had  triumphed  ;  the  most  remarkable 
race  in  the  history  of  the  world  was  ended." 

On  board  the  flag-ship  New  York  is  published  a  tiny 
daily  newspaper,  4x7  inches  in  size,  with  the  name 
"  Squadron  Bulletin  "  on  the  title-page.  Following  is 
the  account  of  the  destruction  of  the  Spanish  fleet  as 
given  in  that  publication  : 

"  This  is  a  red-letter  day  for  the  American  navy,  as 
dating  the  entire  destruction  of  Admiral  Cervera's  for- 
midable fleet  ;  the  Infanta  Maria  Teresa,  Vizcaya, 
Oquendo,  Cristobal  Colon,  and  the  deep-sea  torpedo- 
boats  Furor  and  Pluton. 

"  The  flag-ship  had  started  from  her  station  about  nine 


266  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

to  go  to  Siboney,  whence  the  admiral  had  proposed 
going  for  a  consultation  with  General  Shafter ;  the 
other  ships,  with  the  exception  of  the  Massachusetts 
and  Suwanee,  which  had,  unfortunately,  gone  this 
morning  to  Guantanamo  for  coal,  were  in  their  usual 
positions,  viz.,  beginning  at  the  east,  the  Gloucester, 
Indiana,  Oregon,  Iowa,  Texas,  Brooklyn,  and  Vixen. 

"When  about  two  miles  off  from  Altares  Bay,  and 
about  four  miles  east  of  her  usual  position,  the  Spanish 
fleet  was  observed  coming  out  and  making  westward  in 
the  following  order :  Infanta  Maria  Teresa  (flag),  Viz- 
cay  a,  Cristobal  Colon,  Almirante  Oquendo,  Furor,  and 
Pluton. 

"  They  were  at  once  engaged  by  the  ships  nearest, 
and  the  result  was  practically  established  in  a  very 
short  time.  The  heavy  and  rapid  shell  fire  was  very 
destructive  to  both  ships  and  men.  The  cruisers  In- 
fanta Maria  Teresa,  Almirante  Oquendo,  and  Vizcaya 
were  run  ashore  in  the  order  named,  afire  and  burning 
fiercely.  The  first  ship  was  beached  at  Nima,  nine  and 
one-half  miles  west  of  the  port ;  the  second  at  Juan 
Gonzalez,  six  miles  west  ;  the  third  at  Acerraderos, 
fifteen  miles.  The  torpedo-boat  destroyers  were  both 
sunk,  one  near  the  beach,  the  other  in  deep  water  about 
three  miles  west  of  the  harbour  entrance. 

"The  remaining  ship,  the  Cristobal  Colon,  stood  on 
and  gave  a  long  chase  of  forty-eight  miles,  in  which 
the  Brooklyn,  Oregon,  Texas,  Vixen,  and  New  York 
took  part.  The  Colon  is  reputed  by  her  captain  to 


THE    SPANISH     FLEET.  267 

have  been  going  at  times  as  much  as  seventeen  and  a 
half  knots,  but  they  could  not  keep  this  up,  chiefly  on 
account  of  the  fatigue  of  her  men,  who,  many  of  them, 
had  been  ashore  at  Santiago  the  clay  before,  and  had 
been,  while  there,  long  without  food  ;  her  average  speed 
was  actually  thirteen  and  seven-tenths  knots,  the  ship 
leaving  the  harbour  at  9.43  A.  M.,  and  reaching  Rio 
Tarquino  (forty-eight  miles  from  Santiago  entrance) 
at  1.15. 

"  She  was  gradually  forced  in  toward  the  shore,  and, 
seeing  no  chance  of  an  escape  from  so  overwhelming  a 
force,  the  heavy  shells  of  the  Oregon  already  dropping 
around  and  beyond  her,  she  ran  ashore  at  Rio  Tarquino 
and  hauled  down  her  flag. 

"  She  was  practically  uninjured,  but  her  sea-valves 
were  treacherously  opened,  and  in  spite  of  all  efforts 
she  gradually  sank,  and  now  lies  near  the  beach  in 
water  of  moderate  depth.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  she 
may  be  floated,  as  she  was  far  the  finest  ship  of  the 
squadron.  All  her  breech  plugs  were  thrown  overboard 
after  the  surrender,  and  the  breech-blocks  of  her 
Mauser  rifles  thrown  away. 

"The  flag-ship  remained  at  Rio  Tarquino  until  eleven 
p.  M.,  and  then  returned  to  Santiago.  The  Texas,  Oregon, 
and  Vixen  remained  by  the  prize.  Commodore  second 
in  command  of  fleet,  Captain  de  Navio  of  the  first  class, 
Don  Jose  de  Paredes  y  Chacon,  Captain  de  Navio  Don 
Emilio  Moreu,  commanding  the  Colon,  and  Teniente  de 
Navio  Don  Pablo  Marina  y  Briengas,  aid  and  secretary 


268  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

to  the  commodore,  were  taken  on  board  the  New  York. 
The  525  men  of  the  crew  of  the  Colon  were  placed 
aboard  the  Resolute,  which  came  from  Santiago  to 
report  sighting  a  Spanish  armoured  cruiser,  which 
turned  out  to  be  the  Austrian  Maria  Teresa.  The 
other  officers  were  placed  aboard  the  Resolute  and 
Vixen. 

"  Admiral  Cervera  and  many  of  his  officers  were  taken 
off  the  shore  by  the  Gloucester,  and  transferred  to  the 
Iowa,  which  ship  had  already  taken  off  many  from  the 
Vizcaya ;  thirty-eight  officers  and  238  men  were  on 
board  the  Iowa,  and  seven  officers  and  203  men  were 
aboard  the  Indiana. 

"  All  these  were  in  a  perfectly  destitute  condition, 
having  been  saved  by  swimming,  or  having  been  taken 
from  the  water  by  our  boats.  Admiral  Cervera  was  in 
a  like  plight.  He  was  received  with  the  usual  honours 
when  he  came  aboard,  and  was  heartily  cheered  by  the 
Iowa's  crew." 

The  Independence  Day  number  is  very  brief.  It 
announces  that  the  prisoners  are  to  be  sent  north  on 
the  Harvard  and  St.  Louis ;  that  they  number  1,750; 
that  the  dead  among  the  Spanish  ships  were  over  six 
hundred ;  that  General  Pando  had  reached  Santiago 
with  five  thousand  men ;  that  the  Brooklyn  and  Marble- 
head  had  gone  to  Guantanamo  to  overhaul  and  coal, 
and  then  tells  of  the  Reina  Mercedes's  skirmish  on  that 
day,  saying  : 


THE    SPANISH    FLEET.  269 

"Just  before  midrught  of  this  date  the  Massachusetts, 
which  was  in  front  of  the  port  with  her  search-light  up 
to  the  entrance,  reported  an  enemy's  vessel  coming  out, 
and  she  and  the  Texas  fired  a  number  of  shots  in  the 
direction  of  the  harbour  mouth.  The  batteries  also 
opened,  and  a  number  of  shell  fell  at  various  points,  the 
attention  paid  by  the  batteries  to  the  ships  being  gen- 
eral. The  Indiana  was  struck  on  the  starboard  side  of 
the  quarter-deck  by  a  mortar  shell,  which  exploded  on 
reaching  the  second  deck  near  the  ward-room  ladder ; 
it  caused  a  fire  which  was  quickly  extinguished.  This 
was  the  first  accident  of  the  kind  to  the  fleet.  The  ves- 
sel inside  turned  out  to  be  the  Reina  Mercedes,  which 
was  sunk  on  the  east  edge  of  the  channel  just  by  the 
Estrella  battery.  She  heads  north,  and  is  canted  over 
to  port  with  her  port  rail  under  water.  She  does  not 
appear  to  obstruct  the  channel." 

The  issue  of  July  5th  is  of  greater  interest : 
"  Mention  of  the  presence  of  the  torpedo-boat  Erics- 
son, on  the  third  instant,  was  unfortunately  omitted. 
She  was  in  company  with  a  flag-ship,  and  turned  at 
once  upon  sighting  the  enemy.  As  she  was  drawing 
away  from  the  New  York  she  signalled,  asking  permis- 
sion to  continue  in  chase,  but  she  was  directed  to  pick 
up  two  men  in  the  water,  which  she  did,  and  on  reach- 
ing the  Vizcaya  she  was  directed  by  the  Iowa,  the 
flag-ship  having  gone  ahead,  to  assist  in  the  rescue  of 
the  Vizcaya' s  crew.  She  took  off  eleven  officers  and 
ninety  men.  The  guns  of  the  Vizcaya  during  the  oper- 


27O  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

ation  were  going  off  from  the  heat,  and  explosions 
were  frequent,  so  that  the  work  was  trying  and  perilous 
for  the  boats  of  the  two  vessels  (Iowa  and  Ericsson) 
engaged. 

"  The  former  report  from  the  army,  which  was  offi- 
cial, regarding  General  Pando's  entry  into  Santiago, 
was  an  error.  General  Shafter  thought  that  he  had 
been  enabled  to  form  a  junction,  but  some  few  of  his 
men  only  had  been  able  to  do  so ;  the  general  himself 
and  his  remaining  force,  it  is  thought,  will  not  be 
able. 

"  The  day  was  an  uneventful  one  from  a  naval  stand- 
point. The  flag-ship  went  to  the  wrecks  of  the  Infanta 
Maria  Teresa  and  the  Almirante.  The  former  lies  in 
an  easy  position  on  sand,  and  with  almost  her  normal 
draught  of  water.  She  is,  of  course,  completely  burned 
out  inside  above  her  protective  deck,  but  the  shell  of 
her  hull  seems  very  good,  and  her  machinery  is  probably 
not  seriously  injured. 

"  It  looks  very  much  as  if  she  were  salvable.  The 
Almirante  was  much  worse  of.  She  had  been  sub- 
jected to  a  much  heavier  gun  fire,  being  racked  and 
torn  in  every  part ;  she  is  much  more  out  of  water, 
and  the  forward  part  is  much  distorted  and  torn  by  the 
explosion  of  her  magazine  and  torpedoes.  The  loss  of 
life  was  very  great.  Charred  bodies  are  strewn  every- 
where, the  vicinity  of  the  port  forward  torpedo-room, 
particularly,  was  almost  covered.  The  torpedo  exploded 
in  the  tube  ;  it  may  be  by  a  shot.  This  is  a  question 


THE    SPANISH    FLEET.  271 

which  it  is  hoped  may  be  conclusively  decided.  The 
fact  of  so  many  bodies  being  about  would  seem  to  bear 
this  out,  but  two  of  her  crew,  taken  off  the  beach  this 
afternoon,  were  questioned,  and  both  stated  that  it  was 
the  result  of  fire,  and  that  the  number  of  bodies  is  to 
be  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  the  operating-room  is 
just  below,  and  that  many  wounded  came  up  that  far 
and  were  suffocated.  The  two  men  were  intelligent 
young  fellows,  and  talked  freely.  They  said  that  the 
gun  fire  was  such  that  it  was  impossible  to  keep 
the  men  at  the  guns.  One  was  a  powder  passer,  the 
other  at  a  57-mm  gun.  In  the  forward  turret  were  two 
officers  and  five  men,  evidently  killed  by  the  entry  of  a 
6-pounder  shell  between  the  top  of  the  turret  and  the 
gun  shield.  Altogether  the  ship  was  a  most  striking 
instance  of  what  rapid  and  well-directed  gun  fire  may 
accomplish.  She  was  terribly  battered  about. 

"While  the  flag-ship  was  lying  near  the  Almirante, 
and  her  steam  cutter  was  alongside,  and  a  small  boat 
from  the  press  tug  Hercules  lying  on  the  starboard 
quarter,  a  shell  exploded  in  a  15 -centimetre  gun,  and 
a  piece  went  through  the  tug's  boat,  cutting  it  in  two  ; 
the  man  in  the  boat  was  not  hurt.  It  is  somewhat 
extraordinary  that  this  shell  should  have  waited  so  long 
to  act,  as  the  after  part  of  the  ship  was  generally  well 
cooled  off.  There  was  still  much  heat  and  some  flames 
about  the  bow.  One  extraordinary  fact  is  the  survival, 
in  proper  shape,  of  many  powder  grains,  baked  hard  ; 
several  of  these  were  picked  up  about  the  deck. 


272  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

"  A  board  has  been  ordered  by  the  commander-in- 
chief  to  report  in  detail  upon  the  stranded  ships." 

On  the  fifteenth  of  July  Admiral  Sampson  made  his 
official  report,  which  is  given  in  full  : 

"U.  S.  FLAGSHIP  NEW  YORK,  FIRST  RATE,  OFF 
SANTIAGO  DE  CUBA,  CUBA,  July  15,  1898. 

"Sir:  —  I  have  the  honour  to  make  the  following 
report  upon  the  battle  with  and  the  destruction  of  the 
Spanish  squadron,  commanded  by  Admiral  Cervera,  off 
Santiago  de  Cuba,  on  Sunday,  July  3,  1898  : 

"  2.  The  enemy's  vessels  came  out  of  the  harbour 
between  9.35  and  10  A.  M.,  the  head  of  the  column 
appearing  around  Cay  Smith  at  9.31,  and  emerging 
from  the  channel  five  or  six  minutes  later. 

"  3.  The  positions  of  the  vessels  of  my  command 
off  Santiago  at  that  moment  were  as  follows  :  The  flag- 
ship New  York  was  four  miles  east  of  her  blockading 
station  and  about  seven  miles  from  the  harbour  en- 
trance. She  had  started  for  Siboney,  where  I  had 
intended  to  land,  accompanied  by  several  of  my  staff, 
and  go  to  the  front  to  consult  with  General  Shafter. 
A  discussion  of  the  situation,  and  a  more  definite  under- 
standing between  us  of  the  operations  proposed,  had 
been  rendered  necessary  by  the  unexpectedly  strong 
resistance  of  the  Spanish  garrison  at  Santiago. 

"  I  had  sent  my  chief  of  staff  on  shore  the  day 
before  to  arrange  an  interview  with  General  Shafter, 


THE    SPANISH    FLEET.  273 

who  had  been  suffering  from  heat  prostration.  I  made 
arrangements  to  go  to  his  headquarters,  and  my  flag- 
ship was  in  the  position  mentioned  above  when  the 
Spanish  squadron  appeared  in  the  channel. 

"  The  remaining  vessels  were  in  or  near  their  usual 
blockading  positions,  distributed  in  a  semicircle  about 
the  harbour  entrance,  counting  from  the  eastward  to 
the  westward  in  the  following  order :  The  Indiana, 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  shore,  the  Oregon,  — 
the  New  York's  place  between  these  two,  —  the  Iowa, 
Texas,  and  Brooklyn,  the  latter  two  miles  from  the  shore 
west  of  Santiago. 

"The  distance  of  the  vessels  from  the  harbour 
entrance  was  two  and  a  half  to  four  miles,  —  the  latter 
being  the  limit  of  day  blockading  distance.  The  length 
of  the  arc  formed  by  the  ships  was  about  eight  miles. 

"  The  Massachusetts  had  left  at  four  A.  M.  for  Guan- 
tanamo  for  coal.  Her  station  was  between  the  Iowa 
and  Texas.  The  auxiliaries,  Gloucester  and  Vixen,  lay 
close  to  the  land  and  nearer  the  harbour  entrance  than 
the  large  vessels,  the  Gloucester  to  the  eastward  and 
the  Vixen  to  the  westward. 

"The  torpedo-boat  Ericsson  was  in  company  with 
the  flag-ship,  and  remained  with  her  during  the  chase 
until  ordered  to  discontinue,  when  she  rendered  very 
efficient  service  in  rescuing  prisoners  from  the  burning 
Vizcaya.  I  enclose  a  diagram  showing  approximately 
the  positions  of  the  vessels  as  described  above. 

"4.     The  Spanish  vessels  came  rapidly  out  of  the 


274  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

harbour,  at  a  speed  estimated  at  from  eight  to  ten  knots, 
and  in  the  following  order  :  Infanta  Maria  Teresa  (flag- 
ship), Vizcaya,  Cristobal  Colon,  and  the  Almirante 
Oquendo. 

"  The  distance  between  these  ships  was  about  eight 
hundred  yards,  which  means  that,  from  the  time  the 
first  one  became  visible  in  the  upper  reach  of  the  chan- 
nel until  the  last  one  was  out  of  the  harbour,  an  interval 
of  only  about  twelve  minutes  elapsed. 

"  Following  the  Oquendo,  at  a  distance  of  about 
twelve  hundred  yards,  came  the  torpedo-boat  destroyer 
Pluton,  and  after  her  came  the  Furor.  The  armoured 
cruisers,  as  rapidly  as  they  could  bring  their  guns  to 
bear,  opened  a  vigorous  fire  upon  the  blockading  ves- 
sels, and  emerged  from  the  channel  shrouded  in  the 
smoke  from  their  guns. 

"  5.  The  men  of  our  ships  in  front  of  the  port  were 
at  Sunday  '  quarters  for  inspection.'  The  signal  was 
given  simultaneously  from  several  vessels,  '  Enemy's 
ships  escaping,'  and  general  quarters  were  sounded. 
The  men  cheered  as  they  sprang  to  their  guns,  and 
fire  was  opened,  probably  within  eight  minutes,  by  the 
vessels  whose  guns  commanded  the  entrance. 

"The  New  York  turned  about  and  steamed  for  the 
escaping  fleet,  flying  the  signal,  'Close  in  toward 
harbour  entrance  and  attack  vessels,'  and  gradually 
increasing  speed  until  toward  the  end  of  the  chase  she 
was  making  sixteen  and  one-half  knots,  and  was  rapidly 
closing  on  the  Cristobal  Colon. 


THE    SPANISH    FLEET.  275 

"  She  was  not,  at  any  time,  within  the  range  of  the 
heavy  Spanish  ships,  and  her  only  part  in  the  firing  was 
to  receive  the  undivided  fire  from  the  forts  in  pass- 
ing the  harbour  entrance,  and  to  fire  a  few  shots  at 
one  of  the  destroyers,  thought  at  the  moment  to  be 
attempting  to  escape  from  the  Gloucester. 

"  6.  The  Spanish  vessels,  upon  clearing  the  harbour, 
turned  to  the  westward  in  column,  increasing  their 
speed  to  the  full  power  of  their  engines.  The  heavy 
blockading  vessels,  which  had  closed  in  toward  the 
Morro,  at  the  instant  of  the  enemy's  appearance,  and 
at  their  best  speed,  delivered  a  rapid  fire,  well  sus- 
tained and  destructive,  which  speedily  overwhelmed 
and  silenced  the  Spanish  fire. 

"The  initial  speed  of  the  Spaniards  carried  them 
rapidly  past  the  blockading  vessels,  and  the  battle 
developed  into  a  chase  in  which  the  Brooklyn  and 
Texas  had  at  the  start  the  advantage  of  position.  The 
Brooklyn  maintained  this  lead. 

"  The  Oregon,  steaming  with  amazing  speed  from  the 
commencement  of  the  action,  took  first  place.  The 
Iowa  and  the  Inditstta  having  done  good  work,  and  not 
having  the  speed  of  the  other  ships,  were  directed  by 
me,  in  succession,  at  about  the  time  the  Vizcaya  was 
beached,  to  drop  out  of  the  chase  and  resume  blockad- 
ing stations.  These  vessels  rescued  many  prisoners. 
The  Vixen,  finding  that  the  rush  of  the  Spanish  ships 
would  put  her  between  two  fires,  ran  outside  of  our  own 
column  and  remained  there  during  the  battle  and  chase. 


276  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

"  7.  The  skilful  handling  and  gallant  firing  of  the 
Gloucester  excited  the  admiration  of  every  one  who 
witnessed  it,  and  merits  the  commendation  of  the  Navy 
Department.  She  is  a  fast  and  entirely  unprotected 
auxiliary  vessel,  —  the  yacht  Corsair,  —  and  has  a  good 
battery  of  light  rapid-fire  guns. 

"  She  was  lying  about  two  miles  from  the  harbour 
entrance  to  the  southward  and  eastward,  and  im- 
mediately steamed  in,  opening  fire  upon  the  large 
ships. 

"  Anticipating  the  appearance  of  the  Pluton  and 
Furor,  the  Gloucester  was  slowed,  thereby  gaining  more 
rapidly  a  high  pressure  of  steam,  and  when  the  destroy- 
ers came  out  she  steamed  for  them  at  full  speed  and 
was  able  to  close  at  short  range,  where  her  fire  was 
accurate,  deadly,  and  of  great  volume. 

"  During  this  fight  the  Gloucester  was  under  the  fire 
of  the  Socapa  battery.  Within  twenty  minutes  from 
the  time  they  emerged  from  Santiago  Harbour  the 
careers  of  the  Furor  and  the  Phiton  were  ended,  and 
two-thirds  of  their  people  killed.  The  Furor  was 
beached  and  sunk  in  the  surf ;  the  Pluton  sank  in  deep 
water  a  few  minutes  later.  The  destroyer  probably 
suffered  much  injury  from  the  fire  of  the  secondary 
batteries  of  the  battle-ships  Iowa,  Indiana,  and  the 
Texas,  yet  I  think  a  very  considerable  factor  in  their 
speedy  destruction  was  the  fire,  at  close  range,  of  the 
Gloucester  s  battery. 

"  After  rescuing  the  survivors  of  the  destroyers,  the 


THE    SPANISH    FLEET.  277 

Gloucester  did  excellent  service  in  landing  and  securing 
the  crew  of  the  Infanta  Maria  Teresa. 

"8.  The  method  of  escape  attempted  by  the 
Spaniards  —  all  steering  in  the  same  direction,  and 
in  formation  —  removed  all  practical  doubts  or  difficul- 
ties, and  made  plain  the  duty  of  every  United  States 
vessel  to  close  in,  immediately  engage  and  pursue. 
This  was  promptly  and  effectively  done. 

"As  already  stated,  the  first  rush  of  the  Spanish 
squadron  carried  it  past  a  number  of  the  blockading 
ships,  which  could  not  immediately  work  up  to  their 
best  speed,  but  they  suffered  heavily  in  passing,  and 
the  Infanta  Maria  Teresa  and  the  Oquendo  were  proba- 
bly set  on  fire  by  the  shells  fired  during  the  first  fifteen 
minutes  of  the  engagement.  It  was  afterward  learned 
that  the  Infanta  Maria  Teresa's  fire  main  had  been  cut 
by  one  of  our  first  shots,  and  that  she  was  unable  to 
extinguish  the  fire. 

"  With  large  volumes  of  smoke  rising  from  their  lower 
deck  aft  these  vessels  gave  up  both  fight  and  flight,  and 
ran  in  on  the  beach,  —  the  Infanta  Maria  Teresa  at 
about  10.15  A.M.,  at  Nima,  nine  and  one-half  miles 
from  Santiago  Harbour  entrance,  and  the  Almirante 
Oquendo  at  about  10.30  A.M.,  at  Juan  Gonzales,  seven 
miles  from  the  port. 

"9.  The  Vizcaya  was  still  under  the  fire  of  the 
leading  vessels.  The  Cristobal  Colon  had  drawn  ahead, 
leading  the  chase,  and  soon  passed  beyond  the  range 
of  the  guns  of  the  leading  American  ships.  The  Viz- 


278  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

caya  was  soon  set  on  fire,  and  at  11.15  sne  turned  in- 
shore and  was  beached  at  Acerraderos,  fifteen  miles 
from  Santiago,  burning  fiercely,  and  with  her  reserves 
of  ammunition  on  deck  already  beginning  to  explode. 

"  When  about  ten  miles  west  of  Santiago  the  Indiana 
had  been  signalled  to  go  back  to  the  harbour  entrance, 
and  at  Acerraderos  the  Iowa  was  signalled  to  '  resume 
blockading  station.'  The  Iowa,  assisted  by  the  Ericsson 
and  the  Hist,  took  off  the  crew  of  the  Vizcaya,  while 
the  Harvard  and  the  Gloucester  rescued  those  of  the 
Infanta  Maria  Teresa  and  the  Almirante  Oquendo. 

"  This  rescue  of  prisoners,  including  the  wounded 
from  the  burning  Spanish  vessels,  was  the  occasion  of 
some  of  the  most  daring  and  gallant  conduct  of  the 
day.  The  ships  were  burning  fore  and  aft,  their  guns 
and  reserve  ammunition  were  exploding,  and  it  was  not 
known  at  what  moment  the  fire  would  reach  the  main 
magazine. 

"  In  addition  to  this  a  heavy  surf  was  running  just 
inside  of  the  Spanish  ships.  But  no  risk  deterred  our 
officers  and  men  until  their  work  of  humanity  was 
complete. 

"  10.  There  remained  now  of  the  Spanish  ships  only 
the  Cristobal  Colon,  but  she  was  their  best  and  fast- 
est vessel.  Forced  by  the  situation  to  hug  the  Cuban 
coast,  her  only  chance  of  escape  was  by  superior  and 
sustained  speed. 

"  When  the  Vizcaya  went  ashore  the  Colon  was  about 
six  miles  ahead  of  the  Brooklyn  and  the  Oregon,  but 


THE    SPANISH    FLEET.  279 

her  spurt  was  finished,  and  the  American  ships  were 
now  gaining  upon  her.  Behind  the  Brooklyn  and  the 
Oregon  came  the  Texas,  Vixen,  and  New  York, 

"It  was  evident  from  the  bridge  of  the  New  York 
that  all  the  American  ships  were  gradually  overhauling 
the  chase,  and  that  she  had  no  chance  of  escape.  At 
12.50  the  Brooklyn  and  the  Oregon  opened  fire  and 
got  her  range,  —  the  Oregon's  heavy  shells  striking 
beyond  her,  —  and  at  1.20  she  gave  up  without  firing 
another  shot,  hauled  down  her  colours  and  ran  ashore 
at  Rio  Tarquino,  forty-eight  miles  from  Santiago. 

"Captain  Cook  of  the  Brooklyn  went  on  board  to 
receive  the  surrender.  While  his  boat  was  alongside  I 
came  up  in  the  New  York,  receiving  his  report,  and 
placed  the  Oregon  in  charge  of  the  wreck  to  save  her, 
if  possible,  and  directed  the  prisoners  to  be  transferred 
to  the  Resolute,  which  had  followed  the  chase.  Com- 
modore Schley,  whose  chief  of  staff  had  gone  on  board 
to  receive  the  surrender,  had  directed  that  all  their 
personal  effects  should  be  retained  by  the  officers. 
This  order  I  did  not  modify. 

"The  Cristobal  Colon  was  not  injured  by  our  firing, 
and  probably  is  not  injured  by  beaching,  though  she 
ran  ashore  at  high  speed.  The  beach  was  so  steep  that 
she  came  off  by  the  working  of  the  sea.  But  her  sea 
valves  were  opened  or  broken,  treacherously,  I  am  sure, 
after  her  surrender,  and  despite  all  efforts  she  sank. 
When  it  became  evident  that  she  could  not  be  kept 
afloat  she  was  pushed  by  the  New  York  bodily  upon 


28O  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

the  beach,  the  New  York's  stem  being  placed  against 
her  for  this  purpose,  the  ship  being  handled  by  Captain 
Chadwick  with  admirable  judgment,  and  sank  in  shoal 
water,  and  may  be  saved.  Had  this  not  been  done  she 
would  have  gone  down  in  deep  water,  and  would  have 
been  to  a  certainty  a  complete  loss. 

"ii.  I  regard  this  complete  and  important  vic- 
tory over  the  Spanish  forces  as  the  successful  finish 
of  several  weeks  of  arduous  and  close  blockade,  so 
stringent  and  effective  during  the  night  that  the  enemy 
was  deterred  from  making  the  attempt  to  escape  at 
night,  and  deliberately  elected  to  make  the  attempt  in 
daylight.  That  this  was  the  case  I  was  informed  by 
the  commanding  officer  of  the  Ctistobal  Colon. 

"12.  It  seems  proper  to  briefly  describe  here  the 
manner  in  which  this  was  accomplished.  The  harbour 
of  Santiago  is  naturally  easy  to  blockade,  there  being 
but  one  entrance  and  that  a  narrow  one,  and  the  deep 
water  extending  close  up  to  the  shore  line,  presenting 
no  difficulties  of  navigation  outside  of  the  entrance. 
At  the  time  of  my  arrival  before  the  port,  June  ist, 
the  moon  was  at  its  full,  and  there  was  sufficient  light 
during  the  night  to  enable  any  movement  outside  of 
the  entrance  to  be  detected ;  but  with  the  waning 
of  the  moon  and  the  coming  of  dark  nights  there  was 
opportunity  for  the  enemy  to  escape,  or  for  his  torpedo- 
boats  to  make  an  attack  upon  the  blockading  vessels. 

"  It  was  ascertained  with  fair  conclusiveness  that  the 
Merrimac,  so  gallantly  taken  into  the  channel  on  June 


THE    SPANISH    FLEET.  28 1 

3d,  did  not  obstruct  it.  I  therefore  maintained  the 
blockade  as  follows  :  To  the  battle-ships  was  assigned 
the  duty,  in  turn,  of  lighting  the  channel.  Moving  up 
to  the  port,  at  a  distance  of  from  one  to  two  miles 
from  the  Morro,  —  dependent  upon  the  condition  of  the 
atmosphere,  —  they  threw  a  search-light  beam  directly 
up  the  channel  and  held  it  steadily  there. 

"This  lighted  up  the  entire  breadth  of  the  channel 
for  half  a  mile  inside  of  the  entrance  so  brilliantly  that 
the  movement  of  small  boats  could  be  detected. 

"Why  the  batteries  never  opened  fire  upon  the 
search-light-ship  was  always  a  matter  of  surprise  to 
me ;  but  they  never  did.  Stationed  close  to  the  en- 
trance of  the  port  were  three  picket-launches,  and,  at 
a  little  distance  further  out,  three  small  picket-vessels 
—  usually  converted  yachts  —  and,  when  they  were 
available,  one  or  two  of  our  torpedo-boats. 

"  With  this  arrangement  there  was  at  least  a  certainty 
that  nothing  could  get  out  of  the  harbour  undetected. 

"After  the  arrival  of  the  army,  when  the  situation 
forced  upon  the  Spanish  admiral  a  decision,  our  vigi- 
lance increased.  The  night  blockading  distance  was 
reduced  to  two  miles  for  all  vessels,  and  a  battle-ship 
was  placed  alongside  the  search-light-ship,  with  her 
broadside  trained  upon  the  channel  in  readiness  to  fire 
the  instant  a  Spanish  ship  should  appear.  The  com- 
manding officers  merit  great  praise  for  the  perfect 
manner  in  which  they  entered  into  this  plan,  and  put 
it  into  execution.  The  Massachusetts,  which,  according 


282  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

to  routine,  was  sent  that  morning  to  coal  at  Guan- 
tanamo,  like  the  others,  had  spent  weary  nights  upon 
this  work,  and  deserved  a  better  fate  than  to  be  absent 
that  morning. 

"  I  enclose,  for  the  information  of  the  department, 
copies  of  orders  and  memorandums  issued  from  time 
to  time,  relating  to  the  manner  of  maintaining  the 
blockade.  When  all  the  work  was  done  so  well,  it  is 
difficult  to  discriminate  in  praise. 

"  The  object  of  the  blockade  of  Cervera's  squadron 
was  fully  accomplished,  and  each  individual  bore  well 
his  part  in  it,  the  commodore  in  command  of  the  second 
division,  the  captains  of  ships,  their  officers,  and  men. 

"  13.  The  fire  of  the  battle-ships  was  powerful  and 
destructive,  and  the  resistance  of  the  Spanish  squad- 
ron was,  in  great  part,  broken  almost  before  they  had 
got  beyond  the  range  of  their  own  force. 

"  The  fine  speed  of  the  Oregon  enabled  her  to  take  a 
front  position  in  the  chase,  and  the  Cristobal  Colon  did 
not  give  up  until  the  Oregon  had  thrown  a  1 3-inch  shell 
beyond  her.  This  performance  adds  to  the  already 
brilliant  record  of  this  fine  battle:ship,  and  speaks 
highly  of  the  skill  and  care  with  which  her  admirable 
efficiency  has  been  maintained  during  a  service  unprece- 
dented in  the  history  of  vessels  of  her  class. 

"The  Brooklyn's  westerly  blockading  position  gave 
her  an  advantage  in  the  chase  which  she  maintained  to 
the  end,  and  she  employed  her  fine  battery  with  telling 
effect. 


THE    SPANISH    FLEET.  283 

"The  Texas  and  the  New  York  were  gaining  on 
the  chase  during  the  last  hour,  and,  had  any  accident 
befallen  the  Brooklyn  or  the  Oregon,  would  have  speedily 
overhauled  the  Cristobal  Colon. 

"  From  the  moment  the  Spanish  vessel  exhausted  her 
first  burst  of  speed,  the  result  was  never  in  doubt. 
She  fell,  in  fact,  far  below  what  might  reasonably  have 
been  expected  of  her. 

"  Careful  measurements  of  time  and  distance  give  her 
an  average  speed,  from  the  time  she  cleared  the  harbour 
mouth  until  the  time  she  was  run  on  shore  at  Rio 
Tarquino,  of  13.7  knots. 

"  Neither  the  New  York  nor  the  Brooklyn  stopped  to 
couple  up  their  forward  engines,  but  ran  out  of  the 
chase  with  one  pair,  getting  steam,  of  course,  as  rapidly 
as  possible  on  all  boilers.  To  stop  to  couple  up  the 
forward  engines  would  have  meant  a  delay  of  fifteen 
minutes,  or  four  miles  in  the  chase. 

"  14.  Several  of  the  ships  were  struck,  the  Brooklyn 
more  often  than  the  others,  but  very  light  material 
injury  was  done,  the  greatest  being  aboard  the  Iowa. 

"  Our  loss  was  one  man  killed  and  one  wounded,  both 
on  the  Brooklyn.  It  is  difficult  to  explain  the  immunity 
from  loss  of  life  or  injury  to  ships  in  a  combat  with 
modern  vessels  of  the  best  type,  but  Spanish  gunnery 
is  poor  at  the  best,  and  the  superior  weight  and  accuracy 
of  our  fire  speedily  drove  the  men  from  their  guns  and 
silenced  their  fire. 

"  This  is  borne  out  by  the  statements  of  prisoners  and 


284  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

by  observation.  The  Spanish  vessels,  as  they  dashed 
out  of  the  harbour,  were  covered  with  the  smoke  from 
their  own  guns,  but  this  speedily  diminished  in  volume, 
and  soon  almost  disappeared. 

"  The  fire  from  the  rapid-fire  batteries  of  the  battle- 
ships appears  to  have  been  remarkably  destructive. 
An  examination  of  the  stranded  vessels  shows  that  the 
Almirante  Oquendo  especially  had  suffered  terribly  from 
this  fire.  Her  sides  are  everywhere  pierced,  and  her 
decks  were  strewn  with  the  charred  remains  of  those 
who  had  fallen. 

"15.  The  reports  of  Commodore  W.  S.  Schley  and 
the  commanding  officers  are  enclosed. 

"  1 6.  A  board,  appointed  by  me  several  days  ago,  has 
made  a  critical  examination  of  the  stranded  vessels,  both 
with  a  view  of  reporting  upon  the  result  of  our  fire  and 
the  military  features  involved,  and  of  reporting  upon 
the  chance  of  saving  any  of  them,  and  of  wrecking  the 
remainder.  The  report  of  the  board  will  be  speedily 
forwarded.  Very  respectfully, 

"  W.  T.   SAMPSON, 
"Rear-Admiral  U.  S.  Navy,   Commander-in-CJiief 

U.  S.  Naval  Force,  North  Atlantic  Station. 
"  The  Secretary  of  the \.  Navy,  Navy  Department,   Wash- 
ington, D.  C" 

A  letter  from  Captain  Chadwick  of  the  flag-ship  New 
York,  to  his  wife,  is  an  entertaining  addition  to  the  story 
of  this  most  marvellous  sea  fight : 


THE    SPANISH    FLEET.  285 

"FLAGSHIP  NEW  YORK,  July  4,  1898. 

"  Yesterday  was  a  wonderful  day,  as  you  will  know  in 
a  few  hours  after  my  writing  this. 

"  We  were  in  a  rather  disgruntled  frame  of  mind  on 
account  of  a  little  note  from  Shafter.  He  wanted  to 
know  why  the  navy  could  not  go  under  a  destructive 
fire  as  well  as  the  army.  It  was  decided  to  go  and 
have  a  consultation  with  him,  explain  the  situation, 
and  lay  our  plans  before  him,  which  were  to  counter- 
mine the  harbour,  going  in  at  the  same  time,  and 
also  trying  to  carry  the  Morro  by  assault  with  one 
thousand  marines  landed  in  Estrella  cove. 

"  It  was  arranged  we  were  to  go  to  Siboney  about 
9.30,  so  Sampson,  Staunton,  and  I  put  on  our  leggings, 
got  some  sandwiches,  filled  a  flask,  and  the  ship  started 
to  go  the  seven  miles  to  Siboney,  where  we  were  to 
find  horses  and  a  cavalry  escort. 

"  We  were  within  a  mile  or  so  of  the  place  when  a 
message  came  to  me  that  a  ship  was  coming  out,  and 
by  the  time  I  was  on  deck  I  found  the  New  York 
turned  around,  and  headed  back,  and  there  they  were, 
coming  out  one  after  the  other,  and  putting  west  as 
hard  as  they  could  go. 

"  The  situation  was  one  which  rather  left  us  out  of  it. 
We  were  too  far  off  to  shoot^but  could  see  the  rest 
banging  away.  The  last  to  come  were  the  two  torpedo- 
boat  destroyers,  so  we  headed  in  to  cut  off  any  attempt 
on  their  part  to  return  to  port,  and  we  saw  Wainwright 
in  the  Gloucester  firing  at  them  for  all  he  was  worth, 


286  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

and  soon  one  evidently  had  a  hole  through  her  boiler, 
as  there  was  a  great  white  cloud  of  steam  which  shot 
into  the  air.  We  fired  two  or  three  4-inch  shots  at  the 
other,  which  was  moving  back  toward  the  entrance,  and 
then  left  him  to  Wainwright's  mercy,  as  it  was  a  clear 
case,  and  stood  on  ;  in  a  few  moments  we  came,  first  to 
one  and  then  the  other,  but  a  little  way  apart,  the 
Infanta  Maria  Teresa  and  the  Oquendo  afire  and 
ashore. 

"  As  we  were  going  past  the  torpedo-boats,  I  ought 
to  have  mentioned  two  men  in  the  water,  stripped,  to 
whom  we  threw  life-buoys,  with  which  they  expressed 
themselves  satisfied.  It  is  impossible  in  such  a  case, 
with  two  of  the  enemy's  ships  going  ahead  of  us,  to 
stop. 

"  We  had  not  passed  the  two  ships  I  mentioned  far, 
until  we  saw  the  Vizcaya  head  in,  and  soon  she  was  on 
the  beach  and  aflame,  at  Ascerraderos,  right  under  the 
old  Cuban  camp. 

"There  was  still  the  Cristobal  Colon,  a  good  way 
ahead,  the  newest  and  fastest  and  much  more  power- 
ful. We  had  passed  the  Iowa  (which  we  left  with  the 
burning  Vizcaya)  and  the  Indiana,  which  we  ordered  to 
return  off  the  harbour,  and  tailed  on  to  the  procession 
after  the  Cristobal  Colon,  which  consisted  of  the  Oregon, 
the  Brooklyn,  and  Texas,  and  the  Vixen.  We  got  each 
of  our  extra  boilers  into  operation  until  we  were  going  a 
good  fifteen  knots,  and  we  were  overhauling  the  advance 
somewhat. 


THE    SPANISH    FLEET.  287 

"The  Oregon  and  Brooklyn  kept  well  up,  and  soon 
the  Oregon  began  to  fire,  and  we  could  see  the  Cristobal 
Colon  gradually  edge  inshore,  so  that  we  knew  the  game 
was  up  and  the  victory  complete ;  soon  she  headed  in, 
and  went  under  one  of  the  points  which  come  down 
from  the  mountains,  which  here  (some  sixty  miles  west 
of  Santiago)  are  close  at  the  water's  edge,  and  are  the 
highest  (seventy-eight  hundred  feet)  in  Cuba.  We  hur- 
ried forward  and  soon  saw  she  had  hauled  her  flag 
down,  and  was  ashore. 

"  The  Brooklyn  had  sent  a  boat,  and  Cook,  who  had 
gone  in  it,  came  alongside  on  his  return,  and  stated  he 
had  received  their  surrender,  stating  he  was  not  empow- 
ered to  make  any  condition  as  to  personal  effects,  etc., 
as  to  which  they  seemed  anxious. 

"  I  then  went  on  board  and  arranged  things,  the 
admiral  allowing  them,  of  course,  to  take  with  them  all 
their  personal  belongings,  so  while  we  were  dividing 
them  up  among  the  ships  (525  men)  along  came  the 
Resolute,  reporting  having  been  chased  by  a  Spanish 
armoured  ship,  so  we  put  all  the  prisoners  in  her.  This 
was  a  long  job. 

"  The  thing  was  to  save  the  Cristobal  Colon,  as  she 
is  one  of  the  finest  modern  ships  of  her  class.  We 
hurried  a  prize-crew  aboard  from  the  Oregon,  closed  all 
water-tight  doors,  as  she  was  evidently  leaking  some- 
where, but  for  all  we  could  do  she  settled  down  on  the 
beach  after  floating  with  the  rising  tide.  It  was  a  great 
pity,  but  the  rascally  engineers'  force  had  opened  all 


288  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

the  valves  connecting  with  the  sea,  and  we  could  not 
get  at  them. 

"  We  finally,  after  eight  hours  of  hard  work,  left  her 
in  charge  of  the  Texas  and  Oregon,  and  are  now  steam- 
ing back  to  our  post  off  Santiago.  The  failure  to  save 
the  Colon  was  too  bad.  It  is  possible  to  do  so,  of 
course,  with  the  assistance  of  a  wrecking  company,  but 
she  was  practically  in  an  undamaged  condition.  She 
had  one  man  killed  and  twenty-five  wounded. 

"  I  am  only  too  thankful  we  did  not  get  ashore  this 
morning.  Poor  Higginson,  who  was  down  at  Guanta- 
namo  coaling,  will  be  full  of  grief,  as  also  Watson,  in 
the  Newark. 

"  I  had  forgotten  to  mention  that  day  before  yester- 
day we  bombarded  the  forts  very  heavily,  knocking  off 
a  good  deal  of  the  poor  old  Morro,  and  bringing  down 
the  flagstaff  and  the  flag  which  was  so  proudly  flaunted 
in  our  eyes  for  more  than  a  month. 

"  We  did  this  at  the  request  of  the  army,  as  a  dem- 
onstration while  they  attacked.  They  did  not,  however, 
make  the  attack,  as  it  turned  out. 

"  These  bombardments  are  very  unsatisfactory  ;  one 
reads  lurid  accounts  of  them  in  the  papers,  but  nothing 
really  is  gained  unless  we  strike  the  guns  themselves, 
and  this  we  have  not  done. 

"  As  we  steamed  by  to-day  in  close  range,  our  friends 
of  the  western  battery,  who  paid  a  great  deal  of  atten- 
tion to  us  yesterday,  banged  away  at  us  in  fine  style, 
and  a  number  of  shells  burst  around  us.  Finally,  when 


THE    SPANISH    FLEET.  289 

I  had  them  entirely  off  my  mind  and  was  paying  atten- 
tion only  to  the  torpedo-boat  destroyers,  came  a  tre- 
mendous screech,  and  everybody  on  the  forecastle 
dodged.  It  was  their  last ;  it  fell  about  two  hundred 
yards  to  our  right.  We  did  not  reply  as  we  came 
along.  I  thought  it  a  waste  of  material,  and  thought 
they  might  have  their  amusement  so  long  as  they  did 
no  damage. 

"  There  —  the  engines  have  stopped  and  we  are 
back  at  Santiago;  it  is  4.30,  and  I  shall  turn  in  again 
for  a  final  nap.  The  captain  of  the  Colon  is  occupying 
my  room  ;  very  nice  fellow,  about  fifty-six,  indeed,  as 
are  most  Spanish  naval  officers,  who,  as  a  Cuban  officer 
said  to  me,  are  the  flower  of  the  Spanish  blood. 

"  We  also  have  a  general  and  his  aid-de-camp,  whom 
we  took  in  the  Colon,  a  nice  old  boy  and  very  chirpy. 
The  captain,  of  course,  takes  the  loss  of  his  ship  to 
heart  very  much,  but  the  general  and  his  aid  seem  as 
cheerful  as  possible.  I  suppose  they  think  '  it's  none 
of  their  funeral.' 

"  I  stored  the  general  in  Staunton's  room,  Staunton 
going  to  Santiago  in  a  torpedo-boat  to  send  the  news. 

"  We  have  got  off  our  Spanish  friends,  and  are  now 
loafing.  It  is  a  great  relief  to  feel  that  there  is  nothing 
to  look  after  to-night. 

"  This  goes  in  the  St.  Louis,  so  I  hope  you  will  have 
it  before  many  days,  and  I  hope,  too,  it  won't  be  long 
before  I  get  to  see  you.  I  think  this  terrific  defeat 
must  go  far  toward  ending  things." 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

THE    SURRENDER    OF    SANTIAGO. 

T  T  7TTH  the  victory  at  El  Caney  and  San  Juan  Hill 

•  ^  fresh  in  their  minds,  the  American  people  be- 
lieved that  the  war  was  well-nigh  at  an  end.  Informa- 
tion that  Spain  had  sued  for  peace  was  hourly  expected. 

There  was  much  to  be  done,  however,  before  the 
enemy  was  willing  to  admit  himself  beaten.  The  city 
of  Santiago  yet  remained  in  the  hands  of  the  Span- 
iards, Manila  was  still  defiant ;  and  until  those  two 
strongholds  had  been  reduced,  the  boys  of  '98  must 
continue  to  struggle  in  the  trenches  and  on  the  field. 

The  end  was  not  far  away,  however. 

July  5.  General  Shafter  telegraphed  to  the  War 
Department  on  the  fifth  of  July  to  the  effect  that  the 
people  of  Santiago  were  not  only  panic-stricken  through 
fear  of  bombardment,  but  were  suffering  from  lack  of 
actual  necessaries  of  life.  There  was  no  food  save 
rice,  and  the  supply  of  that  was  exceedingly  limited. 
The  belief  of  the  war  officials,  however,  was  that  the 
Spaniards  would  fight  to  the  last,  and  capitulate  only 
when  it  should  become  absolutely  necessary. 

Meanwhile  the  soldiers  were  waiting  eagerly  for  the 

290 


THE    SURRENDER    OF    SANTIAGO.  29! 

close  of  the  truce,  and,  as  the  hour  set  by  General 
Shafter  drew  near,  every  nerve  was  strained  to  its 
utmost  tension  once  more.  Then  a  white  flag  was 
carried  down  the  line,  and  all  knew  the  truce  had  been 
prolonged. 

General  Kent,  whose  division  was  facing  the  hospital 
and  barracks  of  Santiago,  was  notified  by  the  enemy 
that  Assistant  Naval  Constructor  Hobson  and  his  com- 
panions were  confined  in  the  extreme  northern  build- 
ing, over  which  two  white  flags  were  flying. 

The  citizens  of  Santiago,  learning  that  General  Toral 
refused  to  consider  the  question  of  surrender,  began  to 
leave  the  city,  —  a  mournful  procession. 

General  Shafter  cabled  to  the  government  at  Wash- 
ington under  date  of  July  5th  : 

"  I  am  just  in  receipt  of  a  letter  from  General  Toral, 
agreeing  to  exchange  Hobson  and  men  here ;  to  make 
exchange  in  the  morning.  Yesterday  he  refused  my 
proposition  of  exchange." 

July  7.  General  Miles  and  staff  left  Washington  en 
route  for  Santiago. 

Lieutenant  Hobson  and  the  other  Merrimac  heroes 
were  brought  into  the  American  lines  on  the  morning 
of  the  seventh.  The  exchange  of  prisoners  had  been 
arranged  to  take  place  under  a  tree  midway  between 
the  entrenchments  occupied  by  the  Rough  Riders  and 
the  first  lines  of  the  Spanish  position.  Col.  John 
Jacob  Astor  represented  the  American  commander, 
and  took  with  him  to  the  rendezvous  three  Spanish 


2Q2  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

lieutenants  and  fourteen  other  prisoners.  Major  Tries, 
a  Spanish  staff  officer,  acted  for  the  enemy.  The 
transfer  was  quickly  effected,  and  once  more  the 
brave  fellows  who  had  set  their  lives  as  a  sacrifice 
on  the  altar  of  their  country  were  free. 

July  10.  The  truce  continued,  with  the  exception  of 
a  brief  time  on  the  tenth,  when  the  bombardment  was 
resumed  by  the  fleet,  until  the  thirteenth,  when  Gen- 
erals Miles,  Shafter,  Wheeler,  and  Gilmour  had  an 
interview  with  General  Toral  and  his  staff  at  a  point 
about  halfway  between  the  lines. 

July  /j.  During  this  interview  the  situation  was 
placed  frankly  before  General  Toral,  and  he  was  offered 
the  alternative  of  being  sent  home  with  his  garrison,  or 
leaving  Santiago  province,  the  only  condition  imposed 
being  that  he  should  not  destroy  the  existing  fortifica- 
tions, and  should  leave  his  arms  behind. 

July  15.  Not  until  two  days  later  were  the  details 
arranged,  and  then  the  Spanish  commander  sent  the 
following  letter : 

"  SANTIAGO  DE  CUBA,  July  15,1 898. 
"  EXCELLENCY  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 

OF  THE  AMERICAN  FORCES. 

"Excellent  Sir:  —  I  am  now  authorised  by  my  gov- 
ernment to  capitulate.  I  have  the  honour  to  so  advise 
you,  requesting  you  to  designate  hour  and  place  where 
my  representatives  should  appear  to  compare  with  those 
of  your  excellency,  to  effect  that  article  of  capitulation 


MAJOR-GENERAL   JOSEPH    WHEELER. 


THE    SURRENDER    OF    SANTIAGO.  293 

on  the  basis  of  what   has  been  agreed  upon  to   this 
date. 

"  In  due  time  I  wish  to  manifest  to  your  excellency 
that  I  desire  to  know  the  resolution  of  the  United 
States  government  respecting  the  return  of  arms,  so  as 
to  note  on  the  capitulation,  also  the  great  courtesy  and 
gentlemanly  deportment  of  your  great  grace's  represen- 
tatives, and  return  for  their  generous  and  noble  impulse 
for  the  Spanish  soldiers,  will  allow  them  to  return 
to  the  peninsula  with  the  arms  that  the  American 
army  do  them  the  honour  to  acknowledge  as  dutifully 
descended. 

(Signed)         "JosE  TORAL, 
"  Commander-in-Chief  Fourth  Army  Corps" 

July  16.  Commissioners  on  behalf  of  the  United 
States  and  of  Spain  were  appointed,  and  after  but  little 
discussion  an  agreement  between  them  was  arrived  at. 

The  agreement  consists  of  nine  articles. 

The  first  declared  that  all  hostilities  cease  pending 
the  agreement  of  final  capitulation. 

Second:  That  the  capitulation  includes  all  the  Span- 
ish forces  and  the  surrender  of  all  war  material  within 
the  prescribed  limits. 

Third:  The  transportation  of  the  troops  to  Spain  at 
the  earliest  possible  moment,  each  force  to  be  embarked 
at  the  nearest  port. 

Fourth:  That  the  Spanish  officers  shall  retain  their 
side-arms  and  the  enlisted  men  their  personal  property, 


294  ™E    BOYS    OF    '98. 


Fifth:  That  after  the  final  capitulation,  the  Spanish 
forces  shall  assist  in  the  removal  of  all  obstructions  to 
navigation  in  Santiago  Harbour. 

Sixth:  That  after  the  final  capitulation  the  com- 
manding officers  shall  furnish  a  complete  inventory  of 
all  arms  and  munitions  of  war,  and  a  roster  of  all  the 
soldiers  in  the  district. 

Seventh  :  That  the  Spanish  general  shall  be  permitted 
to  take  the  military  archives  and  records  with  him. 

Eighth:  That  all  guerrillas  and  Spanish  regulars 
shall  be  permitted  to  remain  in  Cuba  if  they  so  elect, 
giving  a  parole  that  they  will  not  again  take  up  arms 
against  the  United  States  unless  properly  paroled. 

Ninth  ;  That  the  Spanish  forces  shall  be  permitted 
to  march  out  with  all  the  honours  of  war,  depositing 
their  arms  to  be  disposed  of  by  the  United  States  in 
the  future.  The  American  commissioners  to  recom- 
mend to  their  government  that  the  arms  of  the  soldiers 
be  returned  to  those  "who  so  bravely  defended  them." 

General  Shafter  cabled  at  once  to  Washington  the 
cheering  news  : 

"  CAMP  NEAR  SANTIAGO,  July  16. 
"The  surrender  has  been  definitely  settled  and  the 
arms    will   be    turned    over    to-morrow   morning,    and 
the  troops  will  be  marched  out  as  prisoners  of  war. 
"  The  Spanish  colours  will  be  hauled  down  at  nine 
o'clock,  and  the  American  flag  hoisted. 

"  SHAFTER,  Major-General.^ 


THE    SURRENDER    OF    SANTIAGO.  295 

July  17.  The  ceremony  of  surrendering  the  city  was 
impressive,  and,  as  can  well  be  imagined,  thrilling  for 
those  boys  of  '98  who  had  been  standing  face  to  face 
with  death  in  the  trenches. 

At  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  Lieutenant  Cook,  of 
General  Shafter's  staff,  entered  the  city,  and  all  the 
arms  in  the  arsenal  were  turned  over  to  him.  The 
work  of  removing  the  mines  which  obstructed  naviga- 
tion at  the  entrance  of  the  harbour  had  been  progress- 
ing all  night.  At  about  seven  o'clock  General  Toral, 
the  Spanish  commander,  sent  his  sword  to  General 
Shafter,  as  evidence  of  his  submission,  and  at  8.45  A.  M. 
all  the  general  officers  and  their  staffs  assembled  at 
General  Shafter's  headquarters.  Each  regiment  was 
drawn  up  along  the  crest  of  the  heights. 

Shortly  after  nine  o'clock  the  Ninth  Infantry  entered 
the  city.  This  position  of  honour  was  given  them  as  a 
reward  for  their  heroic  assault  on  San  Juan  Hill. 

The  details  of  the  surrender  are  thus  described  by  a 
correspondent  of  the  Associated  Press,  who  accom- 
panied General  Shafter's  staff : 

"General  Shafter  and  his  generals,  with  mounted 
escort  of  one  hundred  picked  men  of  the  Second  Cav- 
alry, then  rode  over  our  trenches  to  the  open  ground  at 
the  foot  of  the  hill  on  the  main  road  to  Santiago,  mid- 
way to  the  then  deserted  Spanish  works.  There  they 
were  met  by  General  Toral  and  his  staff,  all  in  full  uni- 
form and  mounted,  and  a  select  detachment  of  Spanish 
troops. 


296  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

"  What  followed  took  place  in  full  view  of  our  troops. 

"  The  scene  was  picturesque  and  dramatic.  General 
Shafter,  with  his  generals  and  their  staffs  grouped 
immediately  in  their  rear,  and  with  the  troops  of  dash- 
ing cavalrymen  with  drawn  sabres  on  the  left,  advanced 
to  meet  the  vanquished  foe. 

"  After  a  few  words  of  courteous  greeting,  General 
Shafter's  first  act  was  to  return  General  Toral's  sword. 
The  Spanish  general  appeared  to  be  touched  by  the 
complimentary  words  with  which  General  Shafter  ac- 
companied this  action,  and  he  thanked  the  American 
commander  feelingly. 

"  Then  followed  a  short  conversation  as  to  the  place 
selected  for  the  Spanish  forces  to  deposit  their  arms, 
and  a  Spanish  infantry  detachment  marched  forward  to 
a  position  facing  our  cavalry,  where  the  Spaniards  were 
halted.  The  latter  were  without  their  colours. 

"  Eight  Spanish  trumpeters  then  saluted,  and  were 
saluted,  in  turn,  by  our  trumpeters,  both  giving  flour- 
ishes for  lieutenant  and  major-generals. 

"  General  Toral  then  personally  ordered  the  Spanish 
company,  which  in  miniature  represented  the  forces 
under  his  command,  to  ground  arms.  Next,  by  his 
direction,  the  company  wheeled  and  marched  across 
our  lines  to  the  rear,  and  thence  to  the  place  selected 
for  camping  them.  The  Spaniards  moved  rapidly,  to 
the  quick  notes  of  the  Spanish  march,  played  by  the 
companies  ;  but  it  impressed  one  like  the  '  Dead  March  ' 
from  Saul. 


THE    SURRENDER    OF    SANTIAGO.  297 

"Although  no  attempt  was  made  to  humiliate  them, 
the  Spanish  soldiers  seemed  to  feel  their  disgrace 
keenly,  and  scarcely  glanced  at  their  conquerors  as 
they  passed  by.  But  this  apparent  depth  of  feeling 
was  not  displayed  by  the  other  regiments.  Without 
being  sullen,  the  Spaniards  appeared  to  be  utterly  indif- 
ferent to  the  reverses  suffered  by  the  Spanish  arms, 
and  some  of  them,  when  not  under  the  eyes  of  their 
officers,  seemed  to  secretly  rejoice  at  the  prospect  of 
food  and  an  immediate  return  to  Spain. 

"  General  Toral,  throughout  the  ceremony,  was  sorely 
dejected.  When  General  Shafter  introduced  him  by 
name  to  each  member  of  his  staff,  the  Spanish  general 
appeared  to  be  a  very  broken  man.  He  seems  to  be 
about  sixty  years  of  age,  and  of  frail  constitution, 
although  stern  resolution  shone  in  every  feature.  The 
lines  are  strongly  marked,  and  his  face  is  deep  drawn, 
as  if  with  physical  pain. 

"General  Toral  replied  with  an  air  of  abstraction 
to  the  words  addressed  to  him,  and  when  he  accom- 
panied General  Shafter  at  the  head  of  the  escort  into 
the  city,  to  take  formal  possession  of  Santiago,  he 
spoke  but  few  words.  The  appealing  faces  of  the 
starving  refugees  streaming  back  into  the  city  did  not 
move  him,  nor  did  the  groups  of  Spanish  soldiers 
lining  the  road  and  gazing  curiously  at  the  fair-skinned, 
stalwart-framed  conquerors.  Only  once  did  a  faint 
shadow  of  a  smile  lurk  about  the  corners  of  his  mouth. 

"This  was  when    the   cavalcade    passed   through   a 


298  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

barbed-wire  entanglement.  No  body  of  infantry  could 
ever  have  got  through  this  defence  alive,  and  General 
Shafter's  remark  about  its  resisting  power  found  the 
first  gratifying  echo  in  the  defeated  general's  heart. 

"  Farther  along  the  desperate  character  of  the 
Spanish  resistance,  as  planned,  amazed  our  officers. 
Although  primitive,  it  was  well  done.  Each  approach 
to  the  city  was  thrice  barricaded  and  wired,  and  the 
barricades  were  high  enough  and  sufficiently  strong  to 
withstand  shrapnel.  The  slaughter  among  our  troops 
would  have  been  frightful  had  it  ever  become  necessary 
to  storm  the  city. 

"Around  the  hospitals  and  public  buildings  and 
along  the  west  side  of  the  line  there  were  additional 
works  and  emplacements  for  guns,  though  no  guns 
were  mounted  in  them. 

"The  streets  of  Santiago  are  crooked,  with  narrow 
lines  of  one-storied  houses,  most  of  which  are  very 
dilapidated,  but  every  veranda  of  every  house  was 
thronged  by  its  curious  inhabitants,  —  disarmed  sol- 
diers. These  were  mostly  of  the  lower  classes. 

"  Few  expressions  of  any  kind  were  heard  along  the 
route.  Here  and  there  was  a  shout  for  free  Cuba  from 
some  Cuban  sympathiser,  but  as  a  rule  there  were 
only  low  mutterings.  The  better  class  of  Spaniards 
remained  indoors,  or  satisfied  their  curiosity  from 
behind  drawn  blinds. 

"  Several  Spanish  ladies  in  tumble-down  carriages 
averted  their  faces  as  we  passed.  The  squalor  in  the 


THE    SURRENDER    OF    SANTIAGO.  299 

streets  was  frightful.  The  bones  of  dead  horses  and 
other  animals  were  bleaching  in  the  streets,  and  buz- 
zards, as  tame  as  sparrows,  hopped  aside  to  let  us  pass. 

"The  windows  of  the  hospitals,  in  which  there  are 
over  fifteen  hundred  sick  men,  were  crowded  with 
invalids,  who  dragged  themselves  there  to  witness  our 
incoming. 

"The  palace  was  reached  soon  after  ten  o'clock. 
There  General  Toral  introduced  General  Shafter  and 
the  other  American  generals  to  the  alcalde,  Seflor 
Feror,  and  to  the  chief  of  police,  Sefior  Guiltillerrez, 
as  well  as  to  the  other  municipal  authorities. 

"  Luncheon  was  then  served  at  the  palace.  The 
meal  consisted  mainly  of  rum,  wine,  coffee,  rice,  and 
toasted  cake.  This  scant  fare  occasioned  many  apolo- 
gies on  the  part  of  the  Spaniards,  but  it  spoke  eloquently 
of  their  heroic  resistance.  The  fruit  supply  of  the  city 
was  absolutely  exhausted,  and  the  Spaniards  had  nothing 
to  live  on  except  rice,  on  which  the  soldiers  in  the 
trenches  of  Santiago  have  subsisted  for  the  last  twelve 
days." 

Ten  thousand  people  witnessed  the  ceremony  of 
hoisting  the  stars  and  stripes  over  the  governor's  palace 
in  Santiago. 

A  finer  stage  setting  for  a  dramatic  episode  it  would 
be  difficult  to  imagine.  The  palace,  a  picturesque  old 
dwelling  in  the  Moorish  style  of  architecture,  faces 
the  Plaza  de  la  Reina,  the  principal  public  square. 


3OO  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

Opposite  rises  the  imposing  Catholic  cathedral.  On 
one  side  is  a  quaint,  brilliantly  painted  building  with 
broad  verandas,  the  club  of  San  Carlos ;  on  the  other 
a  building  of  much  the  same  description,  the  Cafe"  cle 
la  Venus. 

Across  the  plaza  was  drawn  up  the  Ninth  Infantry, 
headed  by  the  Sixth  Cavalry  band.  In  the  street 
facing  the  palace  stood  a  picked  troop  of  the  Second 
Cavalry,  with  drawn  sabres,  under  command  of  Cap- 
tain Brett.  Massed  on  the  stone  flagging  between 
the  band  and  the  line  of  horsemen  were  the  brigade 
commanders  of  General  Shafter's  division,  with  their 
staffs.  On  the  red-tiled  roof  of  the  palace  stood 
Captain  McKittrick,  Lieutenant  Miles,  and  Lieutenant 
Wheeler.  Immediately  above  them,  above  the  flag- 
staff, was  the  illuminated  Spanish  arms,  and  the  legend, 
"  Vive  Alphonso  XIII" 

All  about,  pressing  against  the  veranda  rails,  crowd- 
ing to  windows  and  doors,  and  lining  the  roofs,  were 
the  people  of  the  town,  principally  women  and  non- 
combatants. 

As  the  chimes  of  the  old  cathedral  rang  out  the  hour 
of  twelve,  the  infantry  and  cavalry  presented  arms. 
Every  American  uncovered,  and  Captain  McKittrick 
hoisted  the  stars  and  stripes.  As  the  brilliant  folds 
unfurled  in  the  gentle  breeze  against  the  fleckless  sky, 
the  cavalry  band  broke  into  the  strains  of  "The  Star 
Spangled  Banner,"  making  the  American  pulse  leap  and 
the  American  heart  thrill  with  joy. 


KING    ALPHONSO    XIII.    OF    SPAIN. 


THE    SURRENDER    OF   SANTIAGO.  301 

At  the  same  instant  the  sound  of  the  distant  booming 
of  Captain  Capron's  battery,  firing  a  salute  of  twenty- 
one  guns,  drifted  in. 

When  the  music  ceased,  from  all  directions  around 
our  lines  came  flying  across  the  plaza  the  strains  of  the 
regimental  bands  and  the  muffled,  hoarse  cheers  of  our 
troops. 

The  infantry  came  to  "  order  arms  "  a  moment  later, 
after  the  flag  was  up,  and  the  band  played  "  Rally 
Round  the  Flag,  Boys." 

Instantly  General  McKibben  called  for  three  cheers 
for  General  Shafter,  which  were  given  with  great 
enthusiasm,  the  band  playing  "The  Stars  and  Stripes 
For  Ever." 

The  ceremony  over,  General  Shafter  and  his  staff 
returned  to  the  American  lines,  leaving  the  city  in  the 
possession  of  the  municipal  authorities  subject  to  the 
control  of  General  McKibben,  who  had  been  appointed 
temporary  military  governor. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

MINOR    EVENTS. 

7UNE  24.  The  details  of  the  bloodless  capture  of 
the  principal  of  the  Ladrone  Islands  are  thus  told 
by  a  private  letter  from  the  naval  officer  who  figured 
in  the  leading  role  of  the  exploit,  Lieutenant  Wil- 
liam Braunerzruther,  executive  officer  of  the  cruiser 
Charleston  : 

"U.  S.  S.  CHARLESTON,  AT  SEA  AND  ONE 
"THOUSAND  MILES  FROM  MANILA, 

"June  24,  1898. 

"We  have  just  carried  out  our  orders  to  capture 
the  Spanish  authorities  at  the  capital  of  the  Ladrone 
Islands,  Agana.  I  was  selected  by  the  captain  to 
undertake  this  job,  and  given  160  men  to  land  as  a 
starter. 

"  I  went  ashore  to  have  a  talk  with  the  governor 
about  affairs,  and  the  results  were  that  I  did  not  lose 
even  a  single  man.  The  matter  was  all  settled  in  one 
day,  and  we  are  carrying  with  us  fifty-four  soldiers 
(Spanish)  and  six  officers,  besides  a  lot  of  Mauser  rifles 
and  nearly  ten  thousand  pounds  of  ammunition. 

"  I  had  the  whole  to  handle,  and  did  it  quickly.     The 

302 


MINOR    EVENTS.  303 

captain's  instructions  were  to  wait  a  half  hour  for  his 
answer  to  our  ultimatum,  then  use  my  troops.  I  waited, 
and  in  just  twenty-nine  minutes  the  governor  handed 
me  his  sealed  reply  addressed  to  the  captain  of  our  ship 
out  in  the  harbour  about  four  or  five  miles  off. 

"  I  knew  this  was  sealed  with  the  sole  object  of  gain- 
ing time,  and  hence  I  broke  the  seal,  read  the  contents, 
the  governor  protesting  and  saying  that  was  a  letter  for 
my  captain.  I  replied  :  '  I  represent  him  here.  You 
are  now  my  prisoners,  and  will  have  to  come  on  board 
ship  with  me.' 

"  They  protested  and  pleaded,  and  finally  the  governor 
said  : 

" '  You  came  on  shore  to  talk  over  matters,  and  you 
make  us  prisoners  instead.'  I  replied :  '  I  came  on 
shore  to  hand  you  a  letter  and  to  get  your  reply ; 
in  this  reply,  now  in  my  hand,  you  agree  to  surrender 
all  under  your  jurisdiction.  If  this  means  anything  at 
all,  it  means  that  you  will  accede  to  any  demands  I  may 
deem  proper  to  make.  You  will  at  once  write  an  order 
to  your  military  man  at  Agana  (the  capital ;  this  place 
was  five  miles  distant),  directing  him  to  deliver  at  this 
place  at  four  p.  M.  (it  was  10.30  A.  M.,  June  2ist)  all  am- 
munition and  flags  in  the  island,  each  soldier  to  bring 
his  own  rifle  and  ammunition,  and  all  soldiers,  native 
and  Spanish,  with  their  officers,  must  witness  this.' 

"  They  protested  and  demurred,  saying  there  was  not 
time  enough  to  do  it,  but  I  said  :  '  Seftors,  it  must  be 
done.' 


304  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

"  The  letter  was  written,  read  by  me,  and  sent.  I 
took  all  the  officers  with  me  in  a  boat,  and  at  four  p.  M. 
went  ashore  again  and  rounded  in  the  whole  outfit.  I 
was  three  miles  away  from  my  troops,  and  I  had  only 
four  men  with  me.  At  four  p.  M.,  when  I  disarmed  108 
men  and  two  officers,  I  had  forty-six  men  and  three 
officers  with  me. 

"  The  key-note  to  the  whole  business  was  my  break- 
ing the  seal  of  that  letter  and  acting  at  once.  They 
had  no  time  to  delay  or  prepare  any  treacherous  tricks, 
and  I  got  the  '  drop '  on  the  whole  outfit,  as  they  say 
out  West. 

"  The  native  troops  I  released  and  allowed  to  return 
to  their  homes  unrestricted  ;  they  had  manifested  great 
joy  in  being  relieved  from  Spanish  rule.  While  it  is 
harsh,  it  is  war,  and  in  connection  with  the  Spanish 
treachery  it  was  all  that  could  be  done. 

"  Twenty-four  hours  would  have  —  yes,  I  believe 
even  four  hours  with  a  leader  such  as  the  governor  was, 
a  lieutenant-colonel  in  the  Spanish  army  —  given  them 
a  chance  to  hide  along  the  road  to  Agana,  and  at  inter- 
vals in  the  dense  tropical  foliage  they  could  have  almost 
annihilated  any  force  that  could  land. 

"  The  approaches  to  the  landing  over  shallow  coral 
reefs  would  have  made  a  landing  without  a  terrible  loss 
of  life  almost  an  impossibility. 

"  We  have  increased  by  conquest  the  population  of 
the  United  States  by  nearly  twelve  thousand  people. 
The  capital  has  a  population  of  six  thousand  people. 


MINOR    EVENTS.  305 

This  harbour  in  which  we  were  is  beautiful,  easy  of  ac- 
cess, plenty  of  deep  water,  admitting  of  the  presence  of 
a  large  number  of  vessels  at  the  same  time,  and  is  an 
ideal  place  for  a  coaling  station. 

"  If  our  government  decided  to  hold  the  Philippines 
it  would  then  come  in  so  well ;  San  Francisco  to  Hono- 
lulu twenty-one  hundred  miles,  Honolulu  to  island  of 
Guam  thirty-three  hundred,  and  thence  to  Manila  six- 
teen hundred  miles.  With  a  chain  of  supply  stations 
like  this,  we  could  send  troops  the  whole  year  round  if 
necessary,  and  any  vessel  with  a  steaming  capacity  of 
thirty-five  hundred  miles  could  reach  a  base  of  supplies. 

"  The  details  I  have  scarcely  touched  upon,  but  had 
the  officers  and  soldiers  dreamed  for  one  moment  that 
they  were  to  be  torn  from  their  homes,  there  would,  I 
feel  sure,  have  been  another  story  to  tell,  and  I  am 
firmly  convinced  this  letter  would  never  have  been 
written. 

"  The  captain,  in  extending  to  me  his  congratulations, 
remarked  :  « Braunerzruther,  you'll  never,  as  long  as 
you  live,  have  another  experience  such  as  this.  I  con- 
gratulate you  on  your  work.' 

"  All  this  whole  affair  was  transacted  in  Spanish.  I 
had  an  interpreter  with  me,  but  forgot  all  about  using 
him.  I  did  not  want  them  to  get  a  chance  to  think, 
even,  before  it  was  too  late." 

June  25.  The  Florida  and  the  Fanita  left  Key  West 
Saturday,  June  25th,  under  convoy  of  the  Peoria,  com- 
manded by  Lieut.  C.  W.  Rice.  On  board  the  steamers 


306  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

were  650  Cubans  under  Gen.  Emilio  Nunez,  fifty 
troopers  of  the  Tenth  U.  S.  Cavalry  under  Lieu- 
tenants Johnson  and  Ahearn,  and  twenty-five  Rough 
Riders  under  Winthrop  Chanler,  brother  of  Col. 
William  Astor  Chanler. 

The  cargoes  were  enormous.  There  were  the  horses 
of  the  cavalry  and  1 67  sacks  of  oats  and  2 1 6  bales  of 
hay  to  feed  them.  Topping  the  list  of  arms  were  two 
dynamite  guns,  with  5O-pound  projectiles  to  fit  them,  and 
two  full  batteries  of  light  field-pieces,  ten  3-inch  rifles  of 
regular  ordnance  pattern,  with  harnesses  that  go  with 
them,  and  1,500  cartridges.  In  the  matter  of  infantry 
rifles  there  were  4,000  Springfields,  with  954,000 
cartridges,  and  200  Mausers,  with  2,000  shells. 

Fifty  of  the  Cubans  aboard  were  armed  with  Mausers, 
and  the  others  had  Springfields.  For  the  insurgent  offi- 
cers were  provided  200  army  Colts  and  2,700  cartridges. 
Two  hundred  books  of  United  States  cavalry  and  in- 
fantry tactics,  translated  into  Spanish,  were  taken  along. 
In  the  expedition  were  also  1,475  saddles,  950  saddle- 
cloths, and  450  bridles.  For  the  Cuban  soldiers  there 
were  taken  7,663  uniforms,  5,080  pairs  of  shoes,  1,275 
blankets,  400  shirts,  450  hats  and  250  hammocks. 

There  were  these  commissary  stores  carried,  calcu- 
lated by  pounds:  Bacon,  67,275;  corn-meal,  31,250; 
roasted  coffee,  10,200  ;  raw  coffee,  3,250  ;  sugar,  2,425  ; 
mess  pork  and  beef,  9,600 ;  corned  beef,  24,000 ;  beans 
18,900  ;  hardtack,  1,250  ;  cans  of  corn,  1250. 

June   29.     The    expectation    was   that   the    landing 


MINOR   EVENTS.  307 

would  be  effected  at  San  Juan  Point,  on  the  south 
coast  of  Cuba,  midway  between  Cienfuegos  and  Trini- 
dad. This  place  was  reached  Wednesday  evening, 
June  2Qth.  A  scouting  party  put  off  in  a  small  boat 
and  sculled  toward  shore,  but  had  made  only  half  the 
distance  when  there  came  a  lively  fire  from  what  had 
been  taken  to  be  an  abandoned  blockhouse  near  the 
point.  The  men  were  called  back  and  the  three  ships 
moved  to  the  eastward.  About  four  o'clock  the  next 
afternoon  they  arrived  at  Las  Tunas,  forty  miles  away. 

Four  miles  west  of  the  town,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Tallabacoa  River,  stood  a  large  fort  built  of  railroad 
iron  and  surrounded  by  earthworks.  The  Peoria  ran 
boldly  in  and  fired  several  shots  from  her  3-pounders, 
but  brought  no  response  and  no  signs  of  life.  Here 
was  thought  to  be  the  desired  opportunity,  and  another 
scouting  party  was  organised.  This  was  made  up  of 
fifteen  volunteers  under  Winthrop  Chanler,  and  as 
many  Cubans  under  Captain  Nunez. 

The  Peoria  took  a  position  within  short  range  of  the 
fort  to  protect  a  landing  or  cover  a  retreat,  and  the 
small  boats  headed  for  the  shore.  They  reached  it  five 
hundred  yards  east  of  the  fort  ;  the  boats  were  beached, 
and  their  occupants  cautiously  scrambled  toward  the 
brush.  But  at  almost  the  very  moment  they  set  foot 
on  the  sand,  the  fort  and  the  entrenchments  around  it 
burst  into  flame,  and  shot  and  shell  screamed  about  the 
little  band  of  invaders.  Captain  Nunez  was  stepping 
from  his  boat  when  a  shot  struck  him  between  the  eyes 


308  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

and  he  went  down  dead.  Chanler  fell  with  a  broken 
arm.  The  others  safely  gained  a  thicket  and  replied 
with  a  sharp  fire  directed  at  the  entrenchments. 

Meanwhile  the  Peoria  set  all  her  guns  at  work,  and 
rained  shells  upon  the  fort  until  the  enemy's  fire 
ceased.  The  moment  the  gunboat  slackened  fire,  how- 
ever, the  Spanish  fire  was  renewed  with  fury,  and  it 
became  evident  that  their  forces  were  too  large  to  allow 
a  landing  there.  A  retreat  was  ordered,  and  the  party 
on  shore  rushed  to  the  boats,  but  volley  after  volley 
came  from  the  shore,  and  they  were  compelled  to  throw 
themselves  into  the  water,  and  paddle  alongside  the 
boats  with  only  their  heads  exposed,  until  the  ships 
were  reached.  The  Spaniards  had  the  range,  however, 
and  five  Cubans  were  wounded,  though  none  seriously. 
Returning  to  the  Peoria,  the  men  reported  that  a 
vicious  fire  had  come  from  a  grove  of  cocoanut  palms 
to  the  eastward  of  the  fort.  The  Peoria  opened  her 
guns  on  the  place  indicated,  and  must  have  killed  many 
Spaniards,  for  her  shells  dropped  into  the  smoke  and 
flash  of  the  adversary's  fire,  silenced  it  at  once,  and 
forced  them  to  send  up  rockets  for  help. 

A  number  of  volleys  were  sent  at  the  Peoria  with  a 
view  to  disabling  her  gunners,  but  they  were  badly 
directed,  and  fell  against  her  side  and  into  the  water. 
When  the  small  boats  reached  the  ship  it  was  dark. 
Then  the  discovery  was  made  that,  besides  Captain 
Nunez,  whose  body  was  left  on  the  beach,  there  were 
missing,  Chanler,  Doctors  Lund  and  Abbott,  Lieutenant 


MINOR    EVENTS.  309 

Agramonte,  and  two  Cubans.  It  was  reported  that 
Chanler  had  been  mortally  wounded,  and  was  kept  hid- 
den in  the  bushes  along  the  shore  by  the  two  doctors. 
Rescue  parties  were  immediately  organized,  composed 
of  volunteers,  and  no  less  than  four  were  sent  ashore 
during  the  night.  Toward  morning  Lieutenant  Ahearn, 
in  charge  of  one  of  these,  found  Chanler  and  his 
companion. 

Chanler's  wound  proved  to  be  in  the  right  elbow. 
After  sunrise  Agramonte  and  his  Cubans  were  discov- 
ered and  brought  off. 

July  i.  The  next  day  the  gunboat  Helena,  under 
Captain  Swynburn,  arrived,  and  she  and  the  Peoria 
steamed  in  toward  Las  Tunas,  which  the  Spaniards 
had  been  vigorously  fortifying. 

Tunas  is  connected  by  rail  with  Sancti  Spiritus,  a 
town  of  considerable  size,  and  reinforcements  and  artil- 
lery had  been  rapidly  coming  in.  Range  buoys  had 
been  placed  in  the  bay,  but  avoiding  these,  the  ships 
drew  in  to  close  range,  and  opened  fire,  the  Peoria  at 
twelve  hundred  and  the  Helena  at  fourteen  hundred 
yards.  The  Spaniards  had  several  Krupp  field-pieces 
of  three  or  four  inches,  mounted  on  earthworks  along 
the  water-front,  and  they  began  a  vigorous,  but  ill- 
directed  reply  with  shell  and  shrapnel.  The  fire  of  the 
American  ships  was  most  accurate  and  terribly  destruc- 
tive. The  Spanish  gunners  had  not  fired  more  than 
fifteen  or  twenty  shots  before  their  guns  were  flying 
in  the  air,  their  earthworks  a  mass  of  blood-stained 


3IO  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

dust,  and  their  gunners  running  for  their  lives.  Both 
the  Peoria  and  the  Helena  were  struck  several  times, 
chiefly  by  shrapnel,  but  no  one  on  either  ship  was 
injured.  As  they  withdrew,  several  buildings  on  shore 
were  in  flames. 

That  afternoon  both  ships  again  turned  their  atten- 
tion to  the  fort  and  the  entrenchments  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Tallabacoa  River,  and  for  half  an  hour  poured  a 
wicked  fire  upon  them.  The  Spaniards  had  been 
largely  reinforced  during  the  day,  and  some  field-pieces 
had  been  mounted  near  the  fort.  These  replied  to  the 
American  fire,  but  without  effect,  and  the  shells  of  the 
two  ships  speedily  silenced  them.  The  iron  blockhouse 
was  struck  repeatedly,  and  the  earthworks  were  par- 
tially destroyed.  No  damage  was  done  to  the  ships, 
and  they  again  withdrew. 

That  night  the  Spaniards  burned  a  large  wharf  and 
the  adjacent  buildings,  evidently  expecting  a  landing  in 
force  the  next  day. 

It  was  learned  from  various  sources  that  reinforce- 
ments were  pouring  into  Las  Tunas  from  all  directions  ; 
a  newspaper  from  Sancti  Spiritus  stated  that  two  thou- 
sand men  had  been  despatched  from  the  nearest  trocha. 
It  was  determined  to  proceed  during  the  night  to  Palo 
Alto,  fifty  miles  to  the  eastward,  the  Helena  remaining 
at  Las  Tunas  to  confirm  the  Spaniards  in  the  belief 
that  an  attempt  was  to  be  made  to  land  there. 

July  2.  At  ten  o'clock  Saturday  night,  while  the 
Helena  lay  offshore,  making  lively  play  with  her  search- 


GENERAL   GOMEZ. 


MINOR    EVENTS.  31  I 

lights  toward  shore,  the  Peoria,  the  Florida,  and  the 
Fanita,  with  all  lights  out,  slipped  silently  away.  Palo 
Alto  was  reached  at  daybreak.  There  was  not  a 
Spaniard  to  be  seen,  and  the  men  and  cargo  were  put 
ashore  without  a  single  obstacle. 

July  4..  Gomez,  with  two  thousand  men,  was  known 
to  be  in  the  vicinity,  and  scouts  hurried  into  his  lines. 
On  Monday  the  old  warrior  appeared  in  person  at  Palo 
Alto. 

July  5.  A  steamer  was  sighted  about  midnight  by 
the  U.  S.  S.  Hawk,  formerly  the  yacht  Hermione,  off 
the  north  coast  of  Pinar  del  Rio,  steaming  eastward, 
close  inshore.  She  paid  no  attention  to  three  shots 
across  her  bow,  or  a  signal  to  heave  to.  The  Hawk 
then  opened  fire  and  gave  chase. 

Twenty-five  shots  were  fired,  of  which  only  three 
were  without  effect.  The  vessel  was  soon  on  fire,  and 
flew  signals  of  distress  while  making  full  speed  head  on 
to  the  beach.  The  Hawk  ceased  firing,  and  manned  a 
relief -boat  just  as  the  Spaniard  ran  high  and  dry  on 
a  reef,  under  cover  of  Fort  Mariel. 

Though  the  Spaniard  as  yet  had  not  fired  a  shot  in 
response  to  the  Hawk's  attack,  and  was  burning  signals 
calling  for  help,  the  American  relief -boat  was  received 
with  a  joint  volley  from  both  the  sinking  steamer  and 
the  neighbouring  fort,  turning  her  back,  luckily  un- 
scathed, ^fty  this  time  daylight  was  breaking,  and 
another  Yankee  ship,  the  gunboat  Castine,  hove  in  sight, 
reinforcing  the  Hawk. 


312  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

The  two  opened  fire  upon  the  Spanish  vessel  and 
fort.  A  well-directed  4-inch  shell  from  the  Castiw 
blew  the  steamer  up. 

Most  of  the  latter's  crew  and  passengers  by  this  time 
had,  however,  escaped  by  rowing  or  swimming  ashore. 
Just  at  sunrise,  while  the  Castine  and  Hawk  were 
reconnoitring  in  the  vicinity  of  the  wreck,  a  big 
Spanish  gunboat  hove  in  sight,  training  all  her  bat- 
teries on  the  two  American  boats.  It  was  an  exciting 
moment. 

The  Castine  s  4-inchers  opened  promptly,  and  the 
Spaniard  returned  at  full  speed  to  cover,  under  Morro 
Castle. 

The  Spanish  fleet,  commanded  by  Admiral  Camara, 
arrived  at  Suez,  and  was  notified  by  the  officials  of  the 
Egyptian  government  that  it  must  leave  the  port  within 
twenty-four  hours. 

The  government  also  notified  Admiral  Camara  that 
he  would  not  be  allowed  to  coal. 

While  the  U.  S.  gunboat  Eagle  was  on  the  blockad- 
ing route  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Isle  of  Pines,  on  the 
south  Cuban  coast,  about  five  miles  from  the  shore, 
she  sighted  the  schooner  Gallito,  provision  laden.  She 
immediately  gave  chase,  and  the  schooner  ran  in  until 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  shore,  when  she 
dropped  her  anchor,  and  those  aboard  slipped  over  her 
side  and  swam  ashore. 

Ensign  J.  H.  Roys  and  a  crew  of  eight  men  from 
the  Eagle  were  sent  in  a  small  boat  to  board  the 


MINOR  EVENTS.  313 

schooner.  They  found  her  deserted,  and  while  examin- 
ing her  were  fired  upon  by  her  crew  from  the  beach. 
Several  rifle-shots  went  through  the  schooner's  sails, 
but  no  one  was  injured.  The  Eagle  drew  closer  in,  and 
sent  half  a  dozen  shots  toward  the  beach  from  her 
6-pounders,  whereupon  the  Spaniards  disappeared.  The 
Gallito  was  taken  into  Key  West. 

July  7.  Congress  having  passed  resolutions  to  the 
effect  that  Hawaii  be  annexed  to  the  United  States, 
the  President  added  his  signature,  and  a  new  territory 
was  thus  added  to  the  American  nation. 

Secretary  Long  gave  orders  for  the  departure  of  the 
Philadelphia  from  Mare  Island  for  Hawaii.  She  was 
to  carry  the  flag  of  the  United  States  to  those  islands 
and  include  them  within  the  Union.  Admiral  Miller, 
commanding  the  Pacific  station,  was  charged  with  the 
function  of  hoisting  the  flag. 

July  8.  Admiral  Camara,  commander  of  the  Spanish 
fleet,  which  was  bound  for  the  Philippines,  informed  the 
Egyptian  government  that  he  had  been  ordered  to 
return  home,  and  would,  therefore,  reenter  the  Suez 
Canal. 

July  12.  The  auxiliary  gunboat  Eagle  sighted  the 
Spanish  steamer  Santo  Domingo,  fifty-five  hundred 
tons,  aground  near  the  Cuban  coast,  off  Cape  Francis, 
and  opened  fire  with  her  6-pounders,  sending  seventy 
shots  at  her,  nearly  all  of  which  took  effect. 

While  this  was  going  on,  another  steamer  came  out 
of  the  bay  and  took  off  the  officers  and  crew  of  the 


314  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

Santo  Domingo.  When  the  men  from  the  Eagle 
boarded  the  latter  they  found  that  she  carried  two 
5-inch  and  two  1 2-inch  guns,  the  latter  being  loaded 
and  her  magazines  open.  The  steamer  had  been  draw- 
ing twenty-four  feet  of  water  and  had  gone  aground 
in  twenty  feet. 

The  men  from  the  Eagle  decided  that  the  steamer 
could  not  be  floated,  and  she  was  set  on  fire  after 
fifty  head  of  cattle,  which  were  on  board,  had  been 
shot. 

The  Santo  Domingo  carried  a  large  cargo  of  grain, 
corn,  etc.  While  the  steamer  was  burning,  the  vessel 
which  had  previously  taken  off  the  crew  emerged  from 
the  bay,  and  tried  to  get  off  some  of  the  cargo,  but 
failed.  The  Spanish  steamer  burned  for  three  days,  and 
was  totally  destroyed. 

July  //.  The  cruiser  New  Orleans  captured  the 
French  steamer  Olinde  Rodriguez  off  San  Juan  de 
Porto  Rico,  as  she  was  trying  to  enter  the  port  with 
passengers  and  a  cargo  of  coffee  and  tobacco. 

The  U.  S.  S.  Mayflower  captured  the  British  steamer 
Newfoundland  off  Cienfuegos  while  the  latter  was  try- 
ing to  run  the  Cuban  blockade. 

The  Spanish  sloop  Domingo  Aurello  was  captured  by 
the  U.  S.  S.  Maple  as  the  former  was  leaving  the  port 
of  Sagua  de  Tanamo,  province  of  Santiago,  with  a 
cargo  of  tobacco. 

July  22.  The  following  cablegram  was  received  at 
the  Navy  Department : 


MINOR    EVENTS.  315 

"PLAYA,  July  22. 

"Expedition  to  Nipe  has  been  entirely  successful, 
although  the  mines  have  not  been  removed  for  want  of 
time. 

"The  Spanish  cruiser  Jorge  Juan,  defending  the 
place,  was  destroyed,  without  loss  on  our  part. 

"The  Annapolis  and  Wasp  afterward  proceeded 
from  Nipe  to  assist  in  the  landing  of  the  commanding 
general  of  the  army  on  arrival  at  Porto  Rico. 

(Signed)         "  SAMPSON." 

July  jo.  Another  "Jackie"  achieved  the  reputation 
of  a  hero.  He  is  boatswain's  mate  Nevis  of  the  gun- 
boat Bancroft,  and  the  tale  of  his  valour  is  not  unmixed 
with  humour. 

The  Bancroft,  accompanied  by  the  converted  yacht 
Eagle,  \qfcich  had  been  covering  the  blockading  sta- 
tion around  the  Isle  of  Pines,  sighted  a  small  Spanish 
schooner  in  Sigunea  Bay. 

The  Bancroft's  steam  launch,  in  charge  of  Nevis  and 
one  seaman,  each  armed  with  a  rifle,  were  sent  in  to 
take  the  schooner.  Thj!  was  only  a  task  of  minutes, 
and  the  launch  returned  with  the  prize,  which  proved  to 
be  the  schooner  Nito,  little  more  than  a  smack,  and 
with  no  cargo. 

Commander  Clover  sent  Nevis  in  with  her  to  anchor 
near  the  wreck  of  the  Spanish  transatlantic  liner  Santo 
Domingo,  sunk  by  the  Eagle  a  few  weeks  ago.  Then 
the  Bancroft  and  Eagle  cruised  off  to  Mangle  Point, 


316  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

where  they  happened  to  be  put  in  communication  with 
the  insurgent  camp. 

Two  hours  later  they  returned.  For  a  time  nothing 
could  be  seen  of  the  launch  or  the  prize.  Suddenly 
Commander  Clover,  who  was  scanning  the  waters  with 
his  glass,  shouted  to  Captain  Sutherland  of  the  Eagle : 
"By  heavens,  they  have  recaptured  my  prize."  The 
little  schooner  lay  near  the  wrecked  steamer,  but 
the  Spanish  flag  was  flying  from  her  mast,  and, 
instead  of  only  Nevis  and  his  companion,  she  was 
apparently  filled  with  men. 

Meanwhile  the  gunboat  Maple  had  drawn  up,  and 
Commander  Clover  ordered  her  into  the  work  of  rescue. 
With  guns  ready  she  steamed  toward  the  schooner,  but 
the  sight  that  greeted  her  was  not  what  was  expected. 

Nevis  and  his  companion  sat  at  one  end  of  the  boat 
attempting  to  navigate  her  out  of  the  harbour.  Each 
had  his  rifle  across  his  knee  and  was  keeping  a  wary 
eye  on  a  party  of  half  a  dozen  cowering  Spaniards 
huddled  in  the  other  end  of  the  boat. 

The  Maple  asked  for  information,  and  offered  Nevis 
a  tow,  but  he  replied  with  a  joke  and  declined  the 
proffered  assistance.  Then  it  developed  that,  in  going 
in  to  anchor,  he  had  observed  two  other  small  Spanish 
boats  near  the  wreck  of  the  Santo  Domingo,  and 
had  resolved  to  capture  them,  too.  He  knew  it  was 
hazardous  work,  but  "bluff"  carried  him  through. 

He  took  the  Spanish  colours  of  the  schooner,  ran 
them  up,  and  boldly  sailed  in.  There  were  six  men  on 


MINOR    EVENTS.  317 

the  two  other  boats,  and  they  watched  the  approach  of 
their  supposed  compatriots  with  calmness  that  speedily 
changed  to  consternation  when  Nevis  and  the  other 
"Jackie"  suddenly  whipped  their  rifles  to  their  shoul- 
ders, and  demanded  an  immediate  surrender. 

The  scared  Spanish  seamen  lost  no  time  in  comply- 
ing, and  had  the  unique  experience  of  surrendering 
to  their  own  flag.  Then,  scorning  all  aid,  Nevis  took 
them  out  to  his  ship,  and  in  the  most  matter-of-fact 
manner  reported  the  adventure  to  his  astonished  com- 
mander. 

The  capture  was  no  mean  one,  for  these  six  men 
gave  important  information  to  the  American  ships. 

August  i.  The  Norwegian  steamer  Franklin,  of 
about  five  hundred  tons,  bound  from  Vera  Cruz  with 
a  cargo  of  food  supplies,  was  captured  by  the  converted 
yacht  Siren  off  Francis  Key,  near  Caibarien. 

August  6.  The  Norwegian  steamer  Aladdin,  sugar- 
laden,  was  captured  by  the  auxiliary  gunboat  Hawk  off 
Cadiz  Light,  Isle  of  Pines. 

August  7.  The  auxiliary  gunboat  Viking  captured 
the  Norwegian  steamer  Bergen  off  Francis  Key. 

August  8.  General  Shafter  and  the  Spanish  General 
Toral  held  a  consultation  at  the  palace  in  Santiago, 
with  regard  to  the  embarkation  of  the  Spanish  prison- 
ers of  war.  As  a  result  of  the  conference,  one  thou- 
sand of  the  Spanish  sick  and  wounded  were  taken  on 
board  the  Alicante  next  morning,  to  be  sent  to  Spain  as 
soon  as  the  vessel  was  properly  loaded. 


318  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

August  10.  The  President  to-day  promoted  Samp- 
son and  Schley  to  be  rear-admirals,  ranking  in  the 
order  named. 

A  department  of  the  army,  to  be  known  as  the 
Department  of  Santiago,  was  created,  and  Maj.-Gen. 
Henry  W.  Lawton  assigned  to  its  command. 

The  Norwegian  steamers  Aladdin  and  Bergen  were 
released,  by  orders  from  Washington. 

August  12.  The  flag-ship  San  Francisco,  the  monitor 
Miantonomah,  and  the  auxiliary  yacht  Sylvia  were  fired 
upon  by  the  Havana  batteries.  One  10  or  1 2-inch 
shell  struck  the  San  Francisco's  stern  as  she  turned 
to  get  out  of  range,  and  tore  a  hole  about  a  foot  in 
diameter,  completely  wrecking  Commodore  Howell's 
quarters,  and  smashing  his  book-case  to  fragments. 
Nobody  was  injured,  and,  being  under  orders  not  to 
attack  the  batteries,  the  ships  retreated  as  fast  as  their 
engines  could  carry  them. 

August  /j.  General  Shafter,  at  Santiago,  learned 
that  Manzanillo  had  been  Bombarded  for  twenty  hours. 

General  Shafter  at  once  cabled  to  the  Spanish  com- 
mander at  Manzanillo  that  peace  had  been  declared,1  and 
requesting  him  to  advise  the  American  commander  of 
the  fact  under  a  flag  of  truce,  which  he  did,  and  the 
shelling  of  the  town  ceased. 

August  1 6.  The  following  message  was  the  first 
received  in  this  country  from  the  territory  so  lately 
annexed : 

1  See  Chapter  XVII. 


.# 


MINOR    EVENTS.  319 

"  HONOLULU,  August  16. 

"Day,  State  Department:  —  Flag  raised  Friday,  the 
twelfth,  at  noon.  Ceremonies  of  transfer  produced 
excellent  impression. 

(Signed)   ^     "  SEWALL." 


.  •  •.  - 


'CHAPTER  xv. 


THE    PORTO    RICAN    CAMPAIGN. 

7UL  Y  20.  With  bands  playing  and  thirty  thousand 
people  cheering,  t^e  first  expedition  to  Porto  Rico 
left  Charleston,  S.  C.,  ac  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening, 
under  command  of  Maj.-Gen.  J.  H.  Wilson.  The  Sec- 
ond and  Third  Wisconsin  and  Sixteenth  Pennsylvania 
regiments,  and  two  companies  of  the  Sixth  Illinois, 
made  up  the  list  of  troops. 

July  21.  General  Miles  accompanied  the  expedition 
bound  for  Porto  Rico,  which  left  Guantanamo  Bay, 
made  up  of  eight  transports  convoyed  by  the  New 
Orleans,  Annapolis,  Cincinnati,  Ley  den,  and  Wasp. 

July  22.  An  expedition  under  command  of  Brig.- 
Gen.  Theo.  Schwan  left  Tampa  on  five  transports, 
bound  for  Porto  Rico. 

July  25.  The  expedition  under  the  command  of 
Major-General  Miles  landed  at  Guanica  de  Porto 
Rico,  the  Gloucester,  in  charge  of  Lieutenant-Com- 
mander Wainwright,  steaming  into  the  harbour  in 
order  to  reconnoitre  the  place.  With  the  fleet  wait- 
ing outside,  the  gallant  little  fighting  yacht  Gloucester 
braved  the  mines  which  were  supposed  to  be  in  this 

320 


MAJOR-GENERAL    MILES. 


THE    PORTO    RICAN    CAMPAIGN.  321 

harbour,  and,  upon  sounding,  found  that  there  were 
five  fathoms  of  water  close  inshore. 

The  Spaniards  were  completely  taken  by  surprise. 
Almost  the  first  they  knew  of  the  approach  of  the 
army  of  invasion  was  the  firing  of  a  gun  from  the 
Gloucester,  saucily  demanding  that  the  Spaniards  haul 
down  the  flag  of  Spain,  which  was  floating  from  the 
flag-staff  in  front  of  a  blockhouse  standing  to  the  east 
of  the  village. 

The  first  3-pounders  were  aimed  at  the  hills  right 
and  left  of  the  bay  and  in  order  to  scare  the  enemy, 
the  fighting  yacht  purposely  avoiding  firing  into  the 
town. 

The  Gloucester  then  hove  to  within  about  six  hundred 
yards  of  the  shore,  and  lowered  a  launch,  having  on 
board  a  colt  rapid-fire  gun  and  thirty  men,  under  the 
command  of  Lieutenant  Huse.  She  was  sent  ashore 
without  encountering  any  opposition. 

Quartermaster  Beck  thereupon  told  Yeoman  Lacey 
to  haul  down  the  Spanish  flag,  which  was  done,  and 
then  they  raised  the  first  United  States  flag  to  float  over 
Porto  Rican  soil. 

Suddenly  about  thirty  Spaniards  opened  fire  with 
Mauser  rifles  upon  the  American  party.  Lieutenant 
Huse  and  his  men  responded  with  $reat  gallantry,  the 
Colt  gun  doing  effective  work. 

Norman,  who  received  Admiral  Cervera's  surrender, 
and  Wood,  a  volunteer  lieutenant,  shared  the  honours 
with  Lieutenant  Huse. 


322  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

Almost  immediately  after  the  Spaniards  fired  on  the 
Americans,  the  Gloucester  opened  fire  on  the  enemy 
with  all  her  3  and  6-pounders  which  could  be  brought 
to  bear,  shelling  the  town  and  also  dropping  shells  into 
the  hills  to  the  west  of  Guanica,  where  a  number  of 
Spanish  cavalry  were  to  be  seen  hastening  toward  the 
spot  where  the  Americans  had  landed. 

Lieutenant  Huse  then  threw  up  a  little  fort,  which  he 
named  Fort  Wainwright,  and  laid  barbed  wire  in  the 
street  in  front  of  it  in  order  to  repel  the  expected 
cavalry  attack.  The  lieutenant  also  mounted  the  Colt 
gun  and  signalled  for  reinforcements,  which  were  sent 
from  the  Gloucester. 

Presently  a  few  of  the  Spanish  cavalry  joined  those 
who  were  fighting  in  the  streets  of  Guanica,  but  the 
Colt  barked  to  a  purpose,  killing  four  of  them. 

Soon  afterward  white-coated  galloping  cavalrymen 
were  seen  climbing  the  hills  to  the  westward,  and  the 
foot-soldiers  were  scurrying  along  the  fences  from  the 
town. 

By  9.45,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  guerrilla  shots, 
the  town  was  won,  and  the  enemy  driven  out  of  the 
neighbourhood. 

The  troops  from  the  transports  were  landed  before 
nightfall. 

July  26.  Near  Yauco,  while  the  Americans  were 
pushing  toward  the  mountains,  the  Spaniards  ambushed 
eight  companies  of  the  Sixth  Massachusetts  and  Sixth 
Illinois  regiments,  but  the  enemy  was  repulsed  and 


THE    PORTO    RICAN    CAMPAIGN.  323 

driven  back  a  mile  to  a  ridge,  where  the  Spanish  cavalry 
charged  and  were  routed  by  our  infantry. 

General  Garretson  led  the  fight  with  the  men  from 
Illinois  and  Massachusetts,  and  the  enemy  retreated  to 
Yauco,  leaving  three  dead  on  the  field  and  thirteen 
wounded.  None  of  our  men  were  killed,  and  only  three 
were  slightly  wounded. 

June  27.  The  port  of  Ponce,  Porto  Rico,  surren- 
dered to  Commander  C.  H.  Davis  of  the  auxiliary 
gunboat  Dixie.  There  was  no  resistance,  and  the 
Americans  were  welcomed  with  enthusiasm.  General 
Miles  issued  the  following  proclamation : 

"In  the  prosecution  of  the  war  against  the  kingdom  of 
Spain  by  the  people  of  the  United  States,  in  the  cause 
of  liberty,  justice,  and  humanity,  its  military  forces  have 
come  to  occupy  the  island  of  Porto  Rico.  They  come 
bearing  the  banners  of  freedom,  inspired  by  a  noble 
purpose,  to  seek  the  enemies  of  our  government  and  of 
yours,  and  to  destroy  or  capture  all  in  armed  resistance. 

"  They  bring  you  the  fostering  arms  of  a  free  people, 
whose  greatest  power  is  justice  and  humanity  to  all 
living  within  their  fold.  Hence  they  release  you  from 
your  former  political  relations,  and  it  is  hoped  your 
cheerful  acceptance  of  the  government  of  the  United 
States  will  follow. 

"The  chief  object  of  the  military  forces  will  be  to 
overthrow  the  armed  authority  of  Spain,  and  give  the 
people  of  your  beautiful  island  the  largest  measure  .of 
liberty  consistent  with  this  military  occupation. 


324  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

"  They  have  not  come  to  make  war  on  the  people  of 
the  country,  who  for  centuries  have  been  oppressed, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  they  bring  protection  not  only  to 
yourselves,  but  to  your  property,  will  promote  your 
prosperity  and  bestow  upon  you  the  immunities  and 
blessings  of  our  enlightened  and  liberal  institutions 
and  government.,, 

"  It  is  not  theif  purpose  to  interfere  with  the  existing 
laws  and  customs  which  are  wholesome  and  beneficial 
to  the  people,  so  long  as  they  conform  to  the  rules  of 
the  military  administration,  order,  and  justice.  This  is 
not  a  war  of  devastation  and  desolation,  but  one  to  give 
all  within  the  control  of  the  military  and  naval  forces  the 
advantages  and  blessings  of  enlightened  civilisation." 

July  28.  The  expedition  destined  for  Porto  Rico, 
under  command  of  Major-General  Brooke,  left  Newport 
News.  Four  transports  and  the  auxiliary  cruisers  St. 
Louis  and  St.  Paul  comprises  the  fleet. 

The  Navy  Department  made  public  the  following  tele- 
gram : 

"U.  S.  S.  MASSACHUSETTS,  PONCE,  PORTO 
"Rico,  July  28. 

"  Commander  Davis  with  Dixie,  Annapolis,  Wasp,  and 
Gloucester  left  Guanica  July  2/th  to  blockade  Ponce 
and  capture  lighters  for  United  States  army.  City  of 
Ponce  and  Playa  surrendered  to  Commander  Davis 
upon  demand  at  12.30  A.M.,  July  28th.  American 
flag  hoisted  6  A.  M.,  28th. 

"  Spanish  garrison  evacuated. 


THE    PORTO    RICAN    CAMPAIGN.  325 

"  Provisional  articles  of  surrender  until  occupation  by 
army :  first,  garrison  to  be  allowed  to  retire  ;  second, 
civil  government  to  remain  in  force  ;  third,  police  and 
fire  brigade  to  be  maintained  without  arms ;  fourth, 
captain  of  port  not  to  be  made^  prisoner. 

"  Arrived  at  Ponce  from  Giijmica  with  Massachusetts 
and  Cincinnati,  General  Miles  and  General  Wilson  and 
transport,  at  6.40  A.  M.,  28th  ;  commenced  landing  army 
in  captured  sugar  lighters. 

"  No  resistance.  Troops  welcomed  by  inhabitants  ; 
great  enthusiasm. 

"  Captured  sixty  lighters,  twenty  sailing  vessels,  and 
1 20  tons  of  coal. 

"  HIGGINSON." 

July  29.  The  advance  guard  of  General  Henry's 
division,  which  landed  at  Guanica  on  Tuesday,  arrived 
at  Ponce,  taking  en  route  the  cities  of  Yauco,  Tallaboa, 
Sabana,  Grande,  and  Penuelas. 

Attempts  by  the  Spaniards  to  blow  up  bridges  and 
otherwise  destroy  the  railroad  between  Yauco  and  Ponce 
failed,  only  a  few  flat  cars  being  burned.  At  Yauco 
the  Americans  were  welcomed  in  an  address  made  by 
the  alcalde,  and  a  public  proclamation  was  issued,  dated 
"Yauco,  Porto  Rico,  United  States  of  America,  July 
27th." 

July  j/.  In  General  Miles's  despatches  to  the  War 
Department,  the  following  statements  are  made  regard- 
ing the  condition  of  affairs  on  the  island  : 


326  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

"  Volunteers  are  surrendering  themselves  with  arms 
and  ammunition.  Four-fifths  of  the  people  are  over- 
joyed at  the  arrival  of  the  army.  Two  thousand  from 
one  place  have  volunteered  to  serve  with  it.  They 
are  bringing  in  transportation,  beef,  and  other  needed 
supplies. 

"  The  custom-house  has  already  yielded  fourteen 
thousand  dollars.  As  soon  as  all  the  troops  are  dis- 
embarked they  will  be  in  readiness  to  move." 

Colonel  Rulings,  with  ten  companies  of  the  Sixteenth 
Pennsylvania,  occupied  Juan  Diaz,  about  eight  miles 
northeast  of  Ponce,  on  the  road  to  San  Juan.  The 
American  flag  was  raised,  and  greeted  with  great  en- 
thusiasm by  the  populace. 

August  i.  The  American  scouts  were  within  six 
miles  of  Coamo,  and  the  Spanish  rear  guard  was  retir- 
ing fast.  The  Spanish  had  fled  toward  Aibonito,  thirty 
miles  from  Ponce,  and  the  place  was  being  fortified. 
There  the  road  winds  around  among  the  mountains,  and 
the  artillery  commanding  it  rendered  the  position  im- 
pregnable. Detours  were  to  be  made  by  the  Americans 
from  Coamo  through  Arroyo  and  Guayamo,  thus  avoid- 
ing the  main  road,  which  had  been  mined  for  three 
miles.  Captain  Confields  of  the  engineers  went  ahead 
to  kill  these  mines.  The  Fifth  Signal  Corps  men  in  ad- 
vance of  the  Sixteenth  Pennsylvania  sent  word  to  General 
Stone  that  it  had  reconnoitred  the  road  to  Adjuntas.  A 
signal-station  was  established,  and  the  stars  and  stripes 
run  up  at  Santa  Isabel  amid  great  enthusiasm.  Yabri- 


MAJOR-GENERAL    BROOKE. 


THE    PORTO    RICAN    CAMPAIGN.  327 

coa,  Patillas,  Arroyo,  Guayanillo,  Penuelas,  Ad  juntas, 
Guayamo,  and  Salinas  had  all  surrendered. 

The  Spaniards  hurried  from  these  towns  towards  San 
Juan  before  an  attack  was  made.  The  second  fleet  of 
transports  arrived  safely  at  Fort  Ponce,  the  Rouma- 
nian bringing  the  cavalry  detachment,  and  the  Indiana 
and  Missouri  the  batteries.  Generals  Brooke,  Schwan, 
and  Haines,  with  their  staffs,  were  on  board.  The 
troops  carried  included  the  Thirteenth  Illinois,  Seventh 
Ohio,  Fourth  Pennsylvania,  Nineteenth  Regulars,  and 
Troops  A  and  C  of  the  New  York  volunteer  cavalry. 

There  were  also  one  thousand  animals,  thirty  days' 
rations  for  thirty  thousand  men,  a  signal  corps  detach- 
ment, and  an  ambulance  corps.  The  whole  force,  as 
well  as  the  ammunition  and  quartermaster's  stores,  was 
landed,  and  the  men  were  camping  on  the  outskirts  of 
the  town. 

August  2.  San  Juan  blockaded  by  the  New  Orleans, 
Puritan,  Prairie,  Dixie,  and  Gloucester,  which  kept  out 
of  range  of  the  masked  batteries  ashore. 

The  railroad  from  Ponce  to  Yauco  in  possession  of 
U.  S.  troops.  Spanish  volunteers  continued  to  come 
into  the  American  lines  and  give  themselves  up. 

August  4.  A  portion  of  General  Grant's  brigade,  on 
the  transport  Hudson,  sailed  from  Newport  News. 

A  correspondent  for  the  Associated  Press,  with  the 
invading  army,  thus  wrote  under  date  of  August  4th : 

"The  Americans  have  taken  peaceful  possession  of 
the  eastern  portion  of  the  island. 


328  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

"  Small  parties  of  marines  have  been  landed,  who 
have  lighted  the  lamps  in  the  lighthouse  at  Cape 
San  Juan,  and  in  other  lighthouses  along  the  coast. 
They  met  with  no  resistance. 

"  Indeed,  at  Cape  San  Juan,  deputations  of  citizens 
came  out  to  meet  them. 

"  The  war-ships  now  in  this  vicinity  are  the  Montgom- 
ery, the  Annapolis,  the  Puritan,  and  the  Amphitrite. 
The  two  former  are  looking  for  the  transports  with 
troops  which  left  the  United  States  and  have  scattered 
all  about  the  island. 

"  The  Annapolis  rounded  up  the  Whitney,  the  Florida, 
and  the  Raleigh,  yesterday,  and  they  are  now  at  Cape 
San  Juan.  There  seems  to  have  been  a  serious  mis- 
take as  to  the  rendezvous,  for  no  two  ships  go  to  the 
same  place,  and  it  will  take  several  days  to  overtake 
them  and  get  them  to  Ponce,  where  General  Miles  is 
waiting. 

"  Off  San  Juan  the  cruiser  New  Orleans  alone 
maintains  the  blockade.  The  city  is  grim  and  silent, 
but  back  of  her  yellow  walls  there  will  be  plenty  of 
determination  to  fight  when  the  Americans  fire. 

"  Captain-General  Macias  has  issued  a  proclamation, 
in  the  course  of  which  he  says  : 

" '  Spain  has  not  sued  for  peace,  and  I  can  drive  off 
the  American  boats  now  as  I  did  Sampson's  attempt 
before.' 

"  The  daughter  of  the  captain-general  is  helping  to 
drill  the  gunners  in  the  fort.  Altogether  there  are 


THE    PORTO    RICAN    CAMPAIGN.  329 

ninety-five  hundred  Spanish  regulars  in  the  city.  The 
troops  of  the  enemy,  who  are  retreating  from  Ponce 
and  the  other  towns  on  the  south  coast  occupied  by 
the  Americans,  have  not  yet  arrived." 

August  5.  General  Haines,  with  the  Fourth  Ohio 
and  the  Third  Illinois,  left  Arroyo  for  the  Spanish 
stronghold  of  Guayama.  The  Fourth  Ohio  was  placed 
in  the  lead,  and  when  only  three  miles  from  Arroyo 
its  skirmish-lines  were  attacked  by  the  Spaniards  from 
ambush.  There  was  a  hot  running  fight  from  this 
time  on  until  the  American  troops  reached  and  cap- 
tured Guayama,  which  is  about  six  miles  from  Arroyo. 
The  Americans  lost  three  wounded,  and  the  enemy, 
one  killed  and  two  wounded. 

August  6.  The  foreign  consuls  at  San  Juan  de 
Porto  Rico  advised  the  Spanish  authorities  to  surrender 
the  island  to  the  American  troops.  The  Spaniards, 
however,  in  reply,  announced  that  they  had  resolved 
to  fight ;  thereupon  the  consuls  notified  the  Spanish 
commander,  Captain-General  Macias,  that  they  would 
establish  a  neutral  zone  between  Bayamon  and  Rio 
Piedrass,  in  which  to  gather  the  foreign  residents  and 
their  portable  properties  in  order  to  ensure  their  safety 
in  the  event  of  a  bombardment  of  the  place  by  the 
American  forces.  The  consul  sent  a  similar  notification 
to  General  Miles. 

August  7.  A  general  advance  of  the  American 
forces.  The  custom-house  in  the  village  of  Farjardo 
was  seized. 


33°  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

August  8.  The  town  of  Coamo  was  taken  by  the 
Sixteenth  Pennsylvania  and  the  Second  and  Third 
Wisconsin.  Artillery  was  used  on  an  outlying  block- 
house, and  under  cover  of  this  fire  the  advance  was 
made. 

Two  hundred  Spaniards  were  captured  and  twenty 
killed,  including  the  commander,  Rafael  Igleseas,  and 
three  other  officers. 

Five  Americans  were  wounded. 

August  9.  Gen.  Fred  Grant,  his  staff,  and  six 
companies  of  the  First  Kentucky  regiment  sailed 
for  Porto  Rico  from  Newport  News  on  the  transport 
Alamo. 

"  PONCE,  August  9. 

"Secretary  of  War,  Washington:  —  The  following 
received  from  General  Wilson  : 

"'General  Ernst's  brigade  captured  Coamo  8.30  this 
morning.  Sixteenth  Pennsylvania,  Colonel  Rulings 
commanding,  led  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Biddle,  of  my 
staff,  having  made  a  turning  movement  through  the 
mountains,  striking  the  Aibonito  road  half  a  mile  be- 
yond town,  captured  the  entire  garrison  of  Coamo, 
about  150  men. 

" '  Spanish  commander,  Igleseas,  and  Captain  Lopez 
killed.  Our  loss  reported  six  wounded,  only  one 
severely.  Men  and  officers  behaving  excellently.' 

"  Colonel  Hulings  and  Colonel  Biddle  are  espec- 
ially to  be  commended.  This  is  a  very  important 


THE    PORTO    RICAN    CAMPAIGN.  331 

capture,  and   well   executed.      Names  of   wounded   as 
soon  as  received  here. 

(Signed)         "  MILES." 

Troop  C,  of  New  York,  pursued  a  party  of  fleeing 
Spanish  engineers,  after  the  capture  of  Coamo,  a  dis- 
tance of  four  miles  along  the  road  to  Aibonito. 

The  Americans  were  checked  at  the  Cuyon  River, 
where  the  Spaniards  had  blown  up  the  bridge,  and 
were  shelled  from  a  Spanish  battery  on  the  crest  of 
Asoniante  Mountain.  The  dismounted  cavalry  returned 
the  fire,  receiving  no  damage,  and  holding  the  position. 
A  battalion  of  the  Third  Wisconsin  Volunteers  went  to 
their  support. 

August  ii. 

"  PONCE,  VIA  BERMUDA,  August  u. 

"  Secretary  of  War,  Washington :  —  The  following 
message  received  from  Schwan  : 

"'CAMP,  NEAR  HORMIGUEROS,  AugUSt    IO. 

" '  Advance  guard,  including  cavalry  of  this  com- 
mand, while  reconnoitring  northwest  of  Rosario  River, 
near  Hormigueros,  developed  strong  Spanish  force, 
which  lay  concealed  in  hills  north  of  Mayaguez. 

"  '  In  general  engagement  that  followed,  Lieutenant 
Byron,  Eighth  Cavalry,  my  aid-de-camp,  was  wounded 
in  foot,  and  Private  Fermberger,  Company  D,  Eleventh 
Infantry,  and  one  other  private  were  killed,  and  fourteen 
enlisted  men  were  wounded. 

"  '  It   is   reported  that   the  most,  if  not  the  entire 


332  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

Spanish  garrison  of  Mayaguez  and  surrounding  coun- 
try, consisting  of  one  thousand  regulars  and  two 
hundred  volunteers,  took  part  in  the  engagement. 
We  drove  enemy  from  his  position,  and  it  is  believed 
inflicted  heavy  loss. 

" '  A  wounded  Spanish  lieutenant  was  found  in  the 
field  and  brought  into  our  line.  Conduct  of  officers 
and  men  was  beyond  all  praise.  I  propose  to  continue 
my  march  on  Mayaguez  at  early  hour  to-morrow. 

" '  SCHWAN.' 

i^  (Signed)         "  MILES." 
•£. 

August  12.  General  Wflson  moved  one  Lancaster 
battery  out  to  the  front  for  the  purpose  of  shelling  the 
Spanish  position  on  the  crest  of  the  mountain  at 
the  head  of  the  pass  through  which  the  road  winds. 

The  enemy  occupied  a  position  of  great  natural 
strength,  protected  by  seven  lines  of  entrenchments, 
and  a  battery  of  two  howitzers. 

The  Spaniards  were  eager  for  the  fray,  and  early  in 
the  day  had  fired  upon  Colonel  Biddle  of  the  engineer 
corps,  who,  with  a  platp^fe;  of  Troop  C,  of  New  York, 
was  reconnoitring  on  their  right  flank. 

As  the  American  rMtery  rounded  a  curve  in  the 
road,  two  thousand  yards  away,  the  enemy  opened  an 
artillery  and  infantr^  fire.  Four  companies  of  the 
Third  Wisconsin,  which  were  posted  on  the  bluff  to 
the  right  of  the  road,  were  not  permitted  to  respond. 

The  guns   advanced  at   a  gallop   in  the  face   of   a 


GENERAL    BROOKE    RECEIVING    THE    NEWS    OF    THE    PROTOCOL. 


THE    PORTO    RICAN    CAMPAIGN.  333 

terrific  fire,  were  unlimbered,  and  were  soon  hurling 
common  shell  and  shrapnel  at  the  enemy  at  a  lively 
rate,  striking  the  emplacements,  batteries,  and  entrench- 
ments with  the  rhythmic  regularity  of  a  triphammer. 

The  enemy  soon  abandoned  one  gun,  but  continued 
to  serve  the  other  at  intervals  for  over  an  hour.  They 
had  the  range,  and  their  shrapnel  burst  repeatedly  over 
the  Americans. 

In  about  two  hours  the  enemy  abandoned  the  other 
gun,  and  the  men  began  to  flee  from  the  entrenchments 
toward  a  banana  growth  near  the  gorge.  Then  the 
guns  shelled  them  as  they  ran.  One  gun  was  ordered 
to  advance  a  position  a  quarter  of  a  mile  farther 
on.  It  had  just  reached  the  new  position  when 
Spanish  infantry  reinforcements  filed  into  the  trenches 
and  began  a  deadly  fire  upon  the  Americans,  com- 
pelling  the  battery  to  retire  at  a  gallop.  Then 
both  the  enemy's  howitzers  reopened,  the  shrapnel 
screamed,  and  Mausers  sang.  Another  gun  galloped 
from  the  rear,  but  the  American  ammunition  was 
exhausted. 

Colonel  Bliss  of  General  Wilson's  staff  went  forward 
to  the  enemy's  lines  with  a  flag  of  truce,  and  explained 
that  peace  negotiations  were  almost  concluded,  that 
their  position  was  untenable,  and  demanded  their  sur- 
render. The  Spanish  had  had  no  communication  with 
the  outside  world,  and  the  commander  asked  until  the 
next  morning  in  order  that  he  might  communicate  with 
General  Macias  at  San  Juan. 


334  THE  BOYS.  OF  "98. 

August  ij.  Twelve  hours  later  the  Spanish  com- 
mander gave  the  following  command  to  one  of  his 
staff: 

"Tell  the  American  general,  if  he  desires  to  avoid 
further  shedding  of  blood,  to  remain  where  he  is." 

General  Miles  telegraphed  the  War  Department  that 
he  was  in  receipt  of  Secretary  Alger's  order  to  suspend 
hostilities  in  Porto  Rico.  The  soldiers  of  the  American 
army  generally  received  the  news  of  peace  with  delight, 
although  some  were  disappointed  that  there  was  to  be 
no  further  fighting,  and  many  officers  expressed  regrets 
at  the  suspension  of  hostilities  in  the  midst  of  the 
campaign. 

August  14.  General  Schwan's  column  was  attacked 
between  Mayaguez  and  Lares.  As  the  Eleventh  In- 
fantry under  Colonel  Burke  was  descending  the  valley 
of  the  Rio  Grande  they  were  fired  upon  from  a  hillside 
by  a  force  of  fifteen  hundred  Spaniards,  who  were 
retreating  toward  the  north.  The  fire  was  returned, 
and  the  Spaniards  were  repulsed  with,  it  was  believed, 
considerable  loss. 

Colonel  Soto,  the  commander  of  the  Mayaguez 
district,  was  wounded  and  afterward  captured  in  a 
wayside  cottage.  He  was  attended  by  two  sergeants, 
who  surrendered.  The  Americans  suffered  no  loss. 
The  artillery  and  cavalry  were  not  engaged. 

General  Schwan  had  not  received  news  of  the  sign- 
ing of  the  protocol  when  the  action  occurred,  but 
obtained  it  later  in  the  day. 


GENERAL   RUSSELL    A.    ALGER,    SECRETARY    OF    WAR. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

THE    FALL    OF    MANILA. 

T  T  7ITH  the  opening  of  the  month  of  July,  affairs  at 

*  »  Manila,  so  far  as  concerned  the  American  forces, 
were  at  a  standstill. 

June  jo.  Admiral  Dewey  awaited  the  coming  of  the 
army,  the  first  transports  of  the  fleet  having  arrived 
at  Cavite,  June  3Oth,  before  beginning  offensive 
operations. 

The  situation  on  and  around  the  island  of  Luzon  was 
much  the  same  as  it  had  been  nearly  all  the  month  of 
June,  except  that  the  gunboat  Leite,  which  ran  up  a 
river  on  May  ist,  the  day  of  the  battle,  came  out  and 
surrendered,  having  on  board  fifty-two  army  and  navy 
officers  and  ninety-four  men.  The  Leite  has  a  battery 
of  one  3  I -2-inch  hontoria  guns,  and  several  2.7-inch 
rapid-fire  guns. 

July  i.  Aguinaldo  proclaimed  himself  President  of 
the  Revolutionary  Republic  on  the  first  of  July.  The 
progress  of  the  insurgents  can  be  readily  understood 
by  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  written  by  Mr. 
E.  W.  Harden  : 

"  There  are  persistent  rumours  that  it  is  the  desire  of 
Governor-General  Augusti  to  surrender  Manila  to  the 

335 


336  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

Americans,  but  the  command  of  the  Spanish  troops  is 
practically  held  by  the  senior  colonel  of  artillery,  who 
opposes  surrender. 

"  The  rebels  have  captured  the  water- works  beyond 
Santa  Mesa,  which  supplied  Manila,  and  the  Spanish 
fear  that  their  water  will  be  cut  off. 

"  The  rebels  have  also  captured  the  strongly  fortified 
positions  of  San  Juan  and  Delmonte,  where  the  Span- 
iards were  to  make  their  last  stand  if  Manila  capitu- 
lated. The  city  is  still  surrounded  by  insurgents. 

July  2.  "  There  was  fierce  fighting  Saturday  before 
Malate.  The  Spaniards  had  modern  guns  to  command 
the  rebel  trenches,  and  maintained  a  steady  fire  through- 
out the  afternoon,  but  found  it  impossible  to  drive  the 
natives  out.  Forty  rebels  were  killed.  The  Spaniards 
finally  were  driven  back." 

July  4.  Brigadier-General  Green,  in  command  of  the 
second  army  detachment,  on  the  way  from  San  Fran- 
cisco to  Manila,  rediscovered  and  took  formal  posses- 
sion of  the  long  lost  Wake  Island,  in  north  latitude 
19°  15'  and  east  longitude  166°  33'. 

July  5.  To  the  Spanish  consul  at  Singapore,  Cap- 
tain-General Augusti  telegraphed  : 

"The  situation  is  unchanged.  My  family  has  suc- 
ceeded in  miraculously  escaping  from  Macabora  in  a 
boat,  and,  having  passed  through  the  American  vessels, 
all  arrived  safely  at  Manila.  General  Monet's  column 
is  besieged  and  attacked  at  Macabora." 

July  15.     The   steamers    City  of  Puebla   and   Peru 


THE    FALL    OF    MANILA.  337 

sailed    from    San    Francisco    with   the   fourth    Manila 
expedition,  under  command  of  Major-General  Otis. 

July  16.  The  steamer  China,  of  the  second  Manila 
expedition,  arrived  at  Cavite,  and  was  followed  on  the 
next  day  by  the  steamers  Zealandia,  Colon,  and  Senator. 

July  19.  The  work  of  surrounding  Manila  by  Ameri- 
can forces  was  begun  by  advancing  the  First  California 
regiment  to  Jaubo,  only  two  miles  from  the  Spanish 
lines.  The  Colorado  and  Utah  batteries  were  landed  at 
Paranaque,  directly  from  the  transports.  Over  fifteen 
hundred  men  encamped  between  Manila  and  Cavite. 
The  Tenth  Pennsylvania,  witn  the  rest  of  the  artillery, 
landed  at  Malabon,  north  of  the  besieged  city. 

July  23.  The  transport  steamer  Rio  Janeiro,  bearing 
two  battalions  of  South  Dakota  volunteers,  recruits  for 
the  Utah  Light  Artillery,  and  a  detachment  of  the 
signal  corps,  sailed  from  San  Francisco  for  Manila. 

July  25.  Major-General  Merritt  arrived  at  Cavite. 
Secretary  Long  forwarded  to  Admiral  Dewey  the 
joint  resolution  of  Congress,  extending  the  thanks  of 
Congress  for  the  victory  achieved  at  Cavite.  The  reso- 
lution was  beautifully  engrossed,  and  prefaced  by  a 
formal  attestation  of  its  authenticity  by  Secretary  of 
State  Day,  the  whole  being  enclosed  in  richly 
ornamented  Russia  covers. 

Secretary  Long,  in  his  letter  of  transmittal,  makes 
reference  to  a  letter  from  the  Secretary  of  State  com- 
plimenting Admiral  Dewey  upon  his  direction  of  affairs 
since  the  great  naval  victory,  a  formal  evidence  that 


338  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

the  State  Department  is  thoroughly  well  satisfied 
with  the  diplomatic  qualities  the  admiral  has  exhibited. 
The  letter  of  Secretary  Long  is  as  follows  : 

"NAVY  DEPARTMENT, 

"WASHINGTON,  July  25,    1898. 

"Sir:  —  The  Department  has  received  from  the 
Secretary  of  State  an  engrossed  and  certified  copy  of 
a  joint  resolution  of  Congress,  tendering  the  thanks 
of  Congress  to  you,  and  the  officers  and  men  of  the 
squadron  under  your  command,  for  transmission  to 
you,  and  herewith  encloses  the  same. 

"  Accompanying  the  copy  of  the  joint  resolutions,  the 
Department  received  a  letter  from  the  Secretary  of 
State  requesting  that  there  be  conveyed  to  you  his 
high  appreciation  of  your  character  as  a  naval  officer, 
and  of  the  good  judgment  and  prudence  you  have 
shown  in  directing  affairs  since  the  date  of  your 
great  achievement  in  destroying  the  Spanish  fleet. 

"  This  I  take  great  pleasure  in  doing,  and  join  most 
heartily  on  behalf  of  the  Navy  Department,  as  well  as 
personally,  in  the  commendation  of  the  Secretary  of 
State.  Very  respectfully, 

"JoHN  D.  LONG,  Secretary. 

"  Rear- Admiral  George  Dewey,  U.  S.  N.,  Commander- 
in-Chief  U.  S.  Naval  Force,  Asiatic  Station," 

July  29.     The  transport  steamer  St.  Paul,  bearing 
the    first    battalion   of    North   Dakota  volunteers,  the 


THE    FALL    OF    MANILA.  339 

Minnesota  and  Colorado  recruits,  sailed  from  San 
Francisco  for  Manila. 

July  jf.  The  transports  Indiana,  Ohio,  Valencia, 
Para,  and  Morgan  City  arrived  at  Cavite  with  American 
troops. 

At  1 1.30,  on  the  last  night  of  July,  the  Spanish  forces 
in  Manila  attacked  the  American  lines.  A  typhoon  had 
set  in,  rain  was  falling  in  torrents,  and  the  blackness 
of  the  night  was  almost  palpable.  Three  thousand 
Spaniards  made  a  descent  upon  an  entrenched  line  of 
not  more  than  nine  hundred  Americans. 

The  Tenth  Pennsylvania  bore  the  brunt  of  the  attack, 
and  checked  the  Spanish  advance  until  the  Utah  bat- 
tery, the  First  California  Volunteers,  and  two  companies 
of  the  Third  Artillery,  fighting  as  infantry,  could  get  up 
to  strengthen  the  right  of  the  line. 

The  Spaniards  had,  by  a  rush,  gone  150  yards 
through  and  beyond  the  American  right  flank,  when 
the  regulars  of  the  Third  Artillery,  armed  as  infantry- 
men, pushed  them  back  in  confusion,  the  Pennsylvanians 
and  Utah  battery  aiding  gallantly  in  the  work. 

August  /.  After  the  attack  on  the  right  wing  had 
been  repulsed,  the  second  Spanish  attack  at  two  in 
the  morning  was  directed  against  the  American  left 
wing. 

After  thirty  minutes  of  fighting  the  enemy  was 
again  beaten  off,  and  the  rain  seemed  to  be  so  heavy  as 
to  make  further  attack  impossible. 

But  at  3.50  A.M.  the  battle  was  resumed  at  longer 


34°  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

range,  Spanish  sharpshooters  firing  from  the  trees,  and 
the  batteries  working  constantly,  using  brass-coated 
bullets.  The  Americans,  smoked  and  powder-stained, 
stuck  to  their  guns  for  fourteen  hours  without  relief, 
and  shortly  after  sunrise  the  Spanish  retreated.  The 
American  loss  was  eight  killed,  ten  seriously  and 
thirty-eight  slightly  wounded. 

August  4..  The  monitor  Monterey  and  the  convoyed 
collier  Brutus  arrived  at  Cavite. 

August  7.  Admiral  Dewey  demanded  the  surrender 
of  Manila  within  forty-eight  hours.  The  Spanish  com- 
mander replied  that,  the  insurgents  being  outside  the 
walls,  he  had  no  safe  place  for  the  women  and  children 
who  were  in  the  city,  and  asked  for  twenty-four  hours 
additional  delay.  This  Admiral  Dewey  granted. 

At  the  expiration  of  the  specified  time  Admiral 
Dewey  and  General  Merritt  consulted  and  decided  to 
postpone  the  attack. 

August  13.  The  American  commanders  decided  to 
begin  hostilities  on  the  thirteenth  of  August,  and  the 
navy  began  the  action  at  9.30  A.  M.,  the  Olympia  open- 
ing fire,  followed  by  the  Raleigh,  Petrel,  and  Callao. 
The  latter  showed  great  daring,  approaching  within 
eight  hundred  yards  of  the  Malate  forts  and  trenches, 
doing  grand  work  and  driving  back  the  Spanish  forces. 

The  firing  from  the  fleet  continued  for  one  hour,  the 
Spanish  then  retreating  from  Malate,  where  the  fire  was 
centred,  and  the  American  land  forces  stormed  the 
trenches,  sweeping  all  before  them.  The  First  Colo- 


THE    FALL    OF    MANILA.  34! 

rado  Volunteers  drove  the  Spaniards  into  the  second 
line  of  defence.  Then  the  troops  swept  on,  driving  all 
the  Spaniards  into  the  inner  fortification. 

The  fighting  in  the  trenches  was  most  fierce.  Fif- 
teen minutes  after  the  Spaniards  were  driven  to  the 
second  line  of  defences,  they  were  forced  to 'retreat  to 
the  walled  city,  where,  seeing  the  uselessness  of  resist- 
ance, they  surrendered,  and  soon  afterward  a  white 
flag  was  hoisted  over  Manila. 

The  total  number  of  killed  on  the  American  side  was 
forty-five,  and  wounded  about  one  hundred.  The 
Spanish  losses  were  two  hundred  killed  and  four  hun- 
dred wounded. 

Captain-General  August!  took  refuge  on  board  the 
German  ship  Kaiserin  Augusta,  and  was  conveyed  to 
Hongkong. 

The  following  official  reports  were  made  by  cable  : 

"MANILA,  August  13,  1898. 

"  Secretary  of  Navy,  Washington  :  —  "Manila  sur- 
rendered to-day  to  the  American  land  and  naval  forces, 
after  a  combined  attack. 

"A  division  of  the  squadron  shelled  the  forts  and 
entrenchments  at  Malate,  on  the  south  side  of  the  city, 
driving  back  the  enemy,  our  army  advancing  from  that 
side  at  the  same  time. 

"  The  city  surrendered  about  five  o'clock,  the  Ameri- 
can flag  being  hoisted  by  Lieutenant  Brumby. 

"About  seven  thousand  prisoners  were  taken. 


342  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

"  The  squadron  had  no  casualties,  and  none  of  the 
vessels  were  injured. 

"  August  7th,  General  Merritt  and  I  formally  de- 
manded the  surrender  of  the  city,  which  the  Spanish 
governor-general  refused. 

(Signed)         "  DEWEY." 

"  HONGKONG,  August  2Oth. 

"  Adjutant-General,  Washington :  —  The  following 
are  the  terms  of  the  capitulation  : 

"  The  undersigned,  having  been  appointed  a  commis- 
sion to  determine  the  details  of  the  capitulation  of  the  city 
and  defences  of  Manila  and  its  suburbs  and  the  Spanish 
forces  stationed  therein,  in  accordance  with  agreement 
entered  into  the  previous  day  by  Maj.-Gen.  Wesley 
Merritt,  U.  S.  A.,  American  commander-in-chief  in  the 
Philippines,  and  His  Excellency  Don  Fermin  Jaudenes, 
acting  general-in-chief  of  the  Spanish  army  in  the  Philip- 
pines, have  agreed  upon  the  following  : 

"The  Spanish  troops,  European  and  native,  capitu- 
late with  the  city  and  defences,  with  all  honours  of  war, 
depositing  their  arms  in  the  places  designated  by  the 
authorities  of  the  United  States,  remaining  in  the 
quarters  designated  and  under  the  orders  of  their 
officers  and  subject  to  control  of  the  aforesaid  United 
States  authorities,  until  the  conclusion  of  a  treaty  of 
peace  between  the  two  belligerent  nations.  All  persons 
included  in  the  capitulation  remain  at  liberty ;  the 
officers  remaining  in  their  respective  homes,  which 


THE    FALL   OF   MANILA.  343 

shall  be  respected  as  long  as  they  observe  the  regula- 
tions prescribed  for  their  government  and  the  laws 
enforced.  * 

"  2.  Officers  shall  retain  their  side-arms,  horses, 
and  private  property.  All  public  horses  and  public 
property  of  all  kinds  shall  be  turned  over  to  staff 
officers  designated  by  the  United  States. 

"  3.  Complete  returns  in  duplicate  of  men  by  organ- 
isation, and  full  lists  of  public  property  and  stores  shall 
be  rendered  to  the  United  States  within  ten  days  from 
this  date. 

"  4.  All  questions'relating  to  the  repatriation  of  the 
officers  and  men  of  the  Spanish  forces  and  of  their 
families,  and  of  the  expense  which  said  repatriation 
may  occasion,  shall  be  referred  to  the  government  of 
the  United  States  at  Washington.  Spanish  families 
may  leave  Manila  at  any  time  convenient  to  them. 
The  return  of  the  arms  surrendered  by  the  Spanish 
forces  shall  take  place  when  they  evacuate  the  city,  or 
when  the  Americans  evacuate. 

"  5.  Officers  and  men  included  in  the  capitulation 
shall  be  supplied  by  the  United  States  according  to 
rank,  with  rations  and  necessary  aid,  as  though  they 
were  prisoners  of  war,  until  the  conclusion  of  a  treaty 
of  peace  between  the  United  States  and  Spain.  All 
the  funds  in  the  Spanish  treasury  and  all  other  public 
funds  shall  be  turned  over  to  the  authorities  of  the 
United  States. 

"  6.     This  city,  its  inhabitants,  its  churches  and  reli- 


344  THE  BOYS  OF  '98- 

gious  worship,  its  educational  establishments,  and  its 
private  property  of  all  description,  are  placed  under 
the  special  safeguard  of  the  faith  and  honour  of  the 
American  army. 

"  F.  V.  GREENE, 

"Brigadier-General  of  Volunteers,  U.  S.  A. 
"B.  P.   LAMBERTON, 

"  Captain  U.   S.  Navy. 
"CHARLES  A.  WHITTIER, 

"Lieutenant-Colonel  and  Inspector-General. 
"  E.   H.  CROWDER, 

"  Lieutenant-Colonel  and  Judge- Advocate. 

"NICHOLAS    DE    LA    PfiNA, 

"  Auditor-General 's  excts. 
"  CARLOS  REYEO, 

"  Colonel  de  Ingenieros. 
"Joss  MARIA  OLQUEN, 

"  Felia  de  Estado  Majors. 

(Signed)         "  MERRITT." 

"  HONGKONG,  August  2Oth. 

"Adjutant-General,  Washington:  —  Cablegram  of  the 
twelfth  directing  operations  to  be  suspended  received 
afternoon  of  sixteenth.  Spanish  commander  notified. 
Acknowledged  receipt  of  cablegram  same  date,  contain- 
ing proclamation  of  President. 

"  MERRITT." 


MAJOR-GENERAL    WESLEY    MERRITT. 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

PEACE. 

ON  the  twenty-sixth  day  of  July,  shortly  after  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  French  ambassador, 
M.  Cambon,  accompanied  by  his  first  secretary,  called  at 
the  White  House,  the  interview  having  been  previously 
arranged  and  an  intimation  of  its  purpose  having  been 
given.  With  the  President  at  the  time  was  Secretary 
of  State  Day. 

M.  Cambon  stated  to  the  President  that,  representing 
the  diplomatic  interests  of  the  kingdom  of  Spain,  "  with 
whom  at  the  present  time  the  United  States  is  unhap- 
pily engaged  in  hostilities,"  he  had  been  directed  by 
the  Spanish  Minister  for  Foreign  Affairs  to  ask  on 
what  terms  the  United  States  would  agree  to  a  sus- 
pension of  hostilities. 

The  French  ambassador,  continuing,  said  that  Spain, 
realising  the  hopelessness  of  a  conflict,  knowing  that 
she  was  unable  to  cope  with  the  great  power  of  her 
adversary,  and  appreciating  fully  that  a  prolongation  of 
the  struggle  would  only  entail  a  further  sacrifice  of  life 
and  result  in  great  misery  to  her  people,  on  the  ground 
of  humanity  appealed  to  the  President  to  consider  a 
proposition  for  peace. 

Spain,  said  the  ambassador,  had  been  compelled  to 
345 


THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

fight  to  vindicate  her  honour,  and  having  vindicated  it, 
having  fought  bravely  and  been  conquered  by  a  more 
powerful  nation,  trusted  to  the  magnanimity  of  the 
victor  to  bring  the  war  to  an  end. 

The  President's  reply  showed  that  he  was  responsive 
to  the  appeal.  He  was  evidently  moved  by  the  almost 
pathetic  position  which  the  once  proud  nation  of  Spain 
had  been  forced  to  take,  but  he  had  his  feelings  well 
under  control  and  behaved  with  great  dignity. 

The  President  frankly  admitted  that  he  was  desirous 
of  peace,  that  he  would  welcome  a  cessation  of  hostil- 
ities, but  he  delicately  intimated  that  if  Spain  were 
really  desirous  of  peace  she  must  be  prepared  to  offer 
such  terms  as  could  be  accepted  by  the  United  States. 
The  President  asked  the  French  ambassador  if  he  had 
been  instructed  to  formally  propose  terms,  or  make  any 
offer. 

M.  Cambon  replied  that  he  had  not  been  so  in- 
structed, that  his  instructions  were  to  ask  on  what 
terms  it  would  be  possible  to  make  peace. 

Mr.  McKinley  said  the  matter  would  be  considered 
by  the  Cabinet,  and  a  formal  answer  returned  at  the 
earliest  possible  moment.  The  French  ambassador 
thanked  the  President  for  his  courtesy,  and,  with 
expressions  of  good-will  on  both  sides,  the  historical 
interview  was  brought  to  a  close. 

On  the  thirtieth  day  of  July  the  ultimatum  of  the 
United  States  was  delivered  to  the  ambassador  of  France, 
and,  in  plain  words,  it  was  substantially  as  follows  : 


PEACE.  347 

The  President  does  not  now  put  forward  any  claim 
for  pecuniary  indemnity,  but  requires  the  relinquish- 
ment  of  all  claim  of  sovereignty  over  or  title  to  the 
island  of  Cuba,  as  well  as  the  immediate  evacuation  by 
Spain  of  the  island,  the  cession  to  the  United  States 
and  immediate  evacuation  of  Porto  Rico  and  other 
islands  under  Spanish  sovereignty  in  the  West  Indies, 
and  the  like  cession  of  an  island  in  the  Ladrones. 

The  United  States  will  occupy  and  hold  the  city,  bay, 
and  harbour  of  Manila,  pending  the  conclusion  of  a 
treaty  of  peace,  which  shall  determine  the  control, 
disposition,  and  government  of  the  Philippines. 

If  these  terms  are  accepted  by  Spain  in  their  en- 
tirety, it  is  stated  that  the  commissioners  will  be  named 
by  the  United  States  to  meet  commissioners  on  the  part 
of  Spain  for  the  purpose  of  concluding  a  treaty  of  peace 
on  the  basis  above  indicated. 

August  12,  1898,  peace  negotiations  were  formally 
begun  between  the  United  States  and  Spain. 

A  few  minutes  before  four  o'clock,  in  the  midst  of  a 
drenching  rain,  M.  Cambon,  the  French  ambassador, 
attended  by  his  secretary,  entered  the  White  House. 
They  were  immediately  ushered  to  the  library,  where 
the  President,  Secretary  of  State  Day,  and  Assistant 
Secretaries  of  State  Moore,  Adee,  and  Cridler  were 
awaiting  them. 

The  President  cordially  greeted  the  ambassador,  who 
returned  the  salutation  with  equal  warmth,  and  then 


348  THE    BOYS    OF    '98. 

shook  hands  with  Secretary  Day  and  the  Assistant 
Secretaries.  While  the  President,  Judge  Day,  and  the 
French  ambassador  were  discussing  the  weather,  —  and 
Washington  has  seldom  known  such  a  rain-storm  as  that 
which  engulfed  the  city  while  peace  was  being  signed, 
—  M.  Thiebaut  and  Assistant  Secretary  Moore  were 
comparing  the  two  copies  of  the  protocol  to  see  that 
they  corresponded,  and  were  identical  in  form. 

The  protocol  is  on  parchment,  in  parallel  columns  in 
French  and  English.  In  the  copy  retained  by  the 
American  government  the  English  text  is  in  the  first 
column ;  in  the  other  copy,  which  was  transmitted  to 
Madrid,  the  French  text  leads  the  paper. 

The  two  Secretaries  having  pronounced  the  protocol 
correct,  Judge  Day  and  the  French  ambassador  moved 
over  to  the  table  to  affix  their  signatures.  Mr.  Cridler 
lit  a  candle  to  melt  the  sealing  wax  to  make  the  impres- 
sion on  the  protocols. 

The  striking  of  the  match  caused  the  French  ambas- 
sador to  stop,  feel  in  his  pocket,  and  then  remember 
that  he  had  come  away  from  his  embassy  without  his 
seal.  Here  was  a  contretemps.  It  would  never  do  to 
seal  such  an  important  document  with  anything  else 
but  the  ambassador's  personal  seal. 

A  note  was  hastily  written,  and  one  of  the  White 
House  messengers  dashed  out  into  the  rain,  and  went 
to  the  French  embassy.  Until  his  return  the  distin- 
guished party  in  the  White  House  library  continued  to 
discuss  the  weather,  and  wonder  when  the  typical  Cuban 


DON    CARLOS. 


PEACE.  349 

rain  would  cease  falling.  In  a  few  minutes  the  mes- 
senger returned.  The  ambassador  drew  from  a  small 
box  his  seal,  and  the  two  plenipotentiaries  turned  to 
the  table.  The  American  copy  of  the  protocol  was 
placed  before  Judge  Day,  who  signed  it,  and  then 
handed  the  pen  to  the  ambassador,  who  quickly  affixed 
his  signature  and  seal. 

The  second  copy  was  then  laid  before  the  ambassador, 
who  signed,  and  in  turn  handed  back  the  pen  to  Judge 
Day. 

Thus  Judge  Day  signed  the  two  documents,  first  and 
last,  and  with  the  last  stroke  of  his  pen  hostilities 
ceased. 


BY   THE   PRESIDENT    OF   THE    UNITED 
STATES    OF    AMERICA. 

A    PROCLAMATION. 

Wkereas,  by  a  protocol  concluded  and  signed  August 
12,  1898,  by  Wm.  R.  Day,  Secretary  of  State  of  the 
United  States,  and  His  Excellency  Jules  Cambon, 
Ambassador  Extraordinary  and  Plenipotentiary  of  the 
Republic  of  France,  at  Washington,  respectively  repre- 
senting for  this  purpose  the  government  of  the  United 
States  and  the  government  of  Spain,  the  governments 
of  the  United  States  and  Spain  have  formally  agreed 
upon  the  terms  on  which  negotiations  for  the  establish- 
ment of  peace  between  the  two  countries  shall  be 
undertaken  ;  and, 

Whereas,  it  is  in  said  protocol  agreed  that  upon  its 
conclusion  and  signature  hostilities  between  the  two 
countries  shall  be  suspended,  and  that  notice  to  that 
effect  shall  be  given  as  soon  as  possible  by  each  govern- 
ment to  the  commanders  of  its  military  and  naval 
forces ; 

Now,  therefore,  I,  William  McKinley,  President  of 
the  United  States,  do,  in  accordance  with  the  stipula- 
tions of  the  protocol,  declare  and  proclaim  on  the  part 

35° 


PEACE.  351 

of  the  United  States  a  suspension  of  hostilities,  and  do 
hereby  command  that  orders  be  immediately  given 
through  the  proper  channels  to  the  commanders  of  the 
military  and  naval  forces  of  the  United  States  to 
abstain  from  all  acts  inconsistent  with  this  proclama- 
tion. 

In  witness  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand 
and  caused  the  seal  of  the  United  States  to  be  affixed. 

Done  at  the  City  of  Washington  this  twelfth  day  of 
August,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  ninety-eight,  and  of  the  Independence  of 
the  United  States  the  one  hundred  and  twenty-third. 

WILLIAM  McKiNLEY. 
By  the  President, 

WILLIAM  R.  DAY, 
Secretary  of  State. 


THE    END. 


APPENDICES 


APPENDICES. 


APPENDIX  A. 

THE   PHILIPPINE    ISLANDS. 

number  of  islands  in  the   Philippine  group  are 

JL  believed  to  be  upwards  of  fourteen  hundred,  with  an 
aggregate  land  area  (estimated  on  Domann's  map)  of  not  less 
than  114,356  miles,  situate  in  the  southeast  of  Asia,  extend- 
ing from  40°  40'  to  20°  north  latitude,  and  from  116°  40' 
to  126°  30'  east  longitude. 

The  archipelago  was  discovered  by  Magellan  on  March 
12,  1521,  and  named  by  him  the  St.  Lazarus  Islands.  The 
discoverer  was  a  Portuguese,  who  had  sought  service  under 
Charles  V.  of  Spain  because  he  was  ignored  by  the  court  of 
his  own  country. 

By  the  bull  of  Pope  Alexander  VI.,  of  May  4,  1493, 
which  was  then  universally  recognised  as  law,  the  earth  was 
divided  into  two  hemispheres.  All  lands  thereafter  dis- 
covered in  the  Eastern  Hemisphere  were  decreed  to  belong 
to  Portugal ;  all  the  Western  to  Spain. 

The  St.  Lazarus  Islands  were  well  within  Portugal's 
rights,  but  as  the  use  of  the  log  and  the  variation  of  the 
compass  were  unknown,  an  error  of  fifty-two  degrees  in 
longitude  was  made,  and  to  Spain  the  islands  were  given 
on  the  basis  of  that  error. 

355 


356  APPENDIX    A. 

By  whom  the  name  of  Philippines  was  given  to  the 
archipelago  it  is  impossible  to  say.  In  1567  it  appears  to 
have  been  used  for  the  first  time. 

The  manufactures  of  the  islands  consist  of  silk,  cotton, 
and  pina  fibres  cloth,  hats,  mats,  baskets,  ropes,  coarse 
pottery,  and  musical  instruments. 

The  northern  islands  of  the  archipelago  lie  in  the  region 
of  the  typhoon,  and  have  three  seasons,  —  the  cold,  the  hot, 
and  the  wet.  The  first  extends  from  November  to  February 
or  March,  when  the  atmosphere  is  bracing  rather  than  cold. 
The  hot  season  lasts  from  March  to  June,  and  the  heat 
becomes  very  oppressive  before  the  beginning  of  the  south- 
erly monsoon.  Thunder-storms  of  terrific  violence  occur 
during  May  and  June.  The  wet  season  begins  with  heavy 
rains,  known  by  the  natives  as  "  collas,"  and  until  the  end  of 
October  the  downpour  is  excessive. 

"  Earthquakes  are  sufficiently  frequent  and  violent  in  the 
Philippines  to  affect  the  style  adopted  in  the  erection  of 
buildings ;  in  1874,  for  instance,  they  were  very  numerous 
throughout  the  archipelago,  and  in  Manila  and  the  adjacent 
provinces  shocks  were  felt  daily  for  several  weeks.  The 
most  violent  earthquakes  on  record  in  the  Philippines  oc- 
curred in  July,  1880,  when  the  destruction  of  property  was 
immense,  both  in  the  capital  and  in  other  important  towns 
of  central  Luzon." 

Though  situated  in  the  equatorial  region,  the  elevations 
of  the  mountains  give  a  range  of  climate  that  allows  the 
production  of  a  great  variety  of  valuable  crops.  Tobacco, 
sugar,  hemp,  and  rice  are  the  chief  staples  produced.  The 
swamps  and  rivers  are  infested  with  crocodiles,  and  the 
dense  woods  with  monkeys  and  serpents  of  many  species. 
Rich  deposits  of  gold  are  known  to  exist,  but  have  been 
little  developed. 

To  quote  from  the  Revue  des  Deux  Monties  of  Paris  : 


THE    PHILIPPINE    ISLANDS.  357 

In  the  same  district  are  found  Indians,  Negritos,  Man- 
thras,  Malays,  Bicols,  half-breed  Indians  and  Spaniards, 
Tagalas,  Visayas,  Sulus,  and  other  tribes.  The  Negritos 
(little  negroes)  are  real  negroes,  blacker  than  a  great  many 
of  their  African  conquerors,  with  woolly  hair  growing  in 
isolated  tufts.  They  are  very  diminutive,  rarely  attaining 
four  feet  nine  inches  in  height,  and  with  small,  retreating 
skulls.  This  race  forms  a  branch  equal  in  importance  to 
the  Papuan.  It  is  believed  to  be  the  first  race  inhabiting 
the  Philippines,  but,  as  well  as  everywhere  else,  except 
in  the  Andaman  Islands,  it  has  been  more  or  less  absorbed 
by  the  stronger  races,  and  the  result  in  the  archipelago  has 
been  the  formation  of  several  tribes  of  half-breeds  number- 
ing considerably  more  than  half  a  million.  Side  by  side 
with  them,  and  equally  poor  and  wretched,  are  the  Manthras, 
a  cross  between  the  Negritos  and  Malays  and  the  degener- 
ate descendants  of  the  Saletes,  a  warlike  tribe  conquered  by 
the  Malayan  Rajah  Permicuri  in  1411.  Then  come  the 
Malay  Sulus,  all  Mohammedans  and  still  governed  by  their 
Sultan  and  their  datos,  feudal  lords  who,  under  the  suzerainty 
of  the  Spaniards,  have  possessed  considerable  power. 

The  soil  is  fully  sufficient  —  indeed,  more  than  sufficient 
—  to  support  this  population,  whose  wants  are  of  the  most 
limited  character.  The  land  is  exceedingly  fertile  and  bears 
in  abundance  all  tropical  products,  particularly  rice,  sugar, 
and  the  abaca,  a  variety  of  the  banana-tree.  The  fibres  of 
the  abaca  are  employed  in  making  the  finest  and  most 
delicate  fabrics,  of  which  from  three  to  four  million  dollars' 
worth  are  exported  annually.  The  exports  of  sugar  amount 
to  about  four  millions  and  a  half,  of  gold  to  two  millions 
and  a  half,  and  of  coffee  and  tobacco  close  on  to  a  million 
and  a  quarter  each.  The  rice  is  consumed  at  home.  It 
forms  the  staple  food  of  the  people,  and  nearly  three  million 
dollars'  worth  is  imported  yearly.  The  husbandman  cannot 


APPENDIX    A. 

complain  that  his  toil  is  inadequately  rewarded.  A  rice 
plantation  will  yield  a  return  of  at  least  fifteen  per  cent. ;  if 
he  plant  his  farm  with  sugar-cane  he  will  realise  thirty  per 
cent.,  if  not  more.  On  the  other  hand,  the  price  of  labour 
is  very  low.  An  adult  who  gains  a  realfuerte  (about  thirteen 
cents)  a  day,  thinks  he  is  doing  well. 

In  this  archipelago  of  the  Philippines,  where  races,  man 
ners,  and  traditions  are  so  often  in  collision,  the  religious 
fanaticism  of  the  Spaniards  has,  more  than  once,  come  into 
conflict  with  a  fanaticism  fully  as  fierce  as  that  of  the  Mussul- 
man. At  a  distance  of  six  thousand  leagues  from  Toledo 
and  Granada,  the  same  ancient  hatreds  have  brought  Euro- 
pean Spaniards  and  Asiatic  Saracens  into  the  same  relentless 
antagonism  that  swayed  them  in  the  days  of  the  Cid  and 
Ferdinand  the  Catholic.  The  island  of  Sulu,  on  account  of 
its  position  between  Mindanao  and  Borneo,  was  the  com- 
mercial, political,  and  religious  centre  of  the  followers  of  the 
Prophet,  the  Mecca  of  the  extreme  Orient.  From  this  cen- 
tre they  spread  over  the  neighbouring  archipelago.  Dreaded 
as  merciless  pirates  and  unflinching  fanatics,  they  scattered 
everywhere  terror,  ruin,  and  death,  sailing  in  their  light 
proas  up  the  narrow  channels  and  animated  with  implacable 
hatred  for  those  conquering  invaders,  to  whom  they  never 
gave  quarter  and  from  whom  they  never  expected  it;  con- 
stantly beaten  in  pitched  battle,  they  as  constantly  took 
again  to  the  sea,  eluding  pursuit  of  the  heavy  Spanish 
vessels,  taking  refuge  in  bays  and  creeks  where  no  one 
could  follow  them,  pillaging  isolated  ships,  surprising 
the  villages,  massacring  the  old  men,  leading  away  the 
women  and  the  adults  into  slavery,  pushing  the  audacious 
prows  of  their  skiffs  even  up  to  within  three  hundred  miles 
of  Manila,  and  seizing  every  year  nearly  four  thousand 
captives. 

Between  the   Malay  creese   and  the   Castilian  carronade 


THE    PHILIPPINE    ISLANDS.  359 

the  struggle  was  unequal,  but  it  did  not  last  the  less  long  on 
that  account,  nor,  obscure  though  it  was,  was  it  the  less 
bloody.  On  both  sides  there  was  the  same  bravery,  the 
same  cruelty.  It  required  all  the  tenacity  of  Spain  to  purge 
these  seas  of  the  pirates  who  infested  them,  and  it  was  not 
until  after  a  conflict  of  several  years,  in  1876,  that  the  Span- 
ish squadron  was  able  to  bring  its  broadside  to  bear  on 
Tianggi,  that  nest  of  the  Suluan  pirates,  land  a  division  of 
troops,  invest  all  the  outlets,  and  burn  up  the  town  and  its 
inhabitants  as  well  as  its  harbour  and  all  the  craft  within  it 
The  soldiers  planted  their  flag  and  the  engineers  built  a 
new  city  on  the  smoking  ruins.  This  city  is  protected 
by  a  strong  garrison.  For  a  time,  at  least,  it  was  all  over 
with  piracy,  but  not  with  Moslem  fanaticism,  which  was 
exasperated  rather  than  crushed  by  its  defeat  To  the 
rovers  of  the  seas  succeeded  the  organisation  known  as 
juramentados. 

One  of  the  characteristic  qualities  of  the  Malays  is  their 
contempt  of  death.  They  have  transmitted  it  with  their 
blood  to  the  Polynesians,  who  see  in  it  only  one  of  the 
multiple  phenomena  and  not  the  supreme  act  of  existence, 
and  witness  it  or  submit  to  it  with  profound  indifference. 
Travellers  have  often  seen  a  Canaque  stretch  his  body  on  a 
mat,  while  in  perfect  health,  and  without  any  symptom  of 
disease  whatever,  and  there  wait  patiently  for  the  end,  con- 
vinced that  it  is  near,  and  refuse  all  nourishment  and  die 
without  any  apparent  suffering.  His  relatives  say  of  him, 
"He  feels  he  is  going  to  die,"  and  the  imaginary  patient 
dies,  his  mind  possessed  by  some  illusion,  some  superstitious 
idea,  some  invisible  wound  through  which  life  escapes. 
When  to  this  absolute  indifference  to  death  is  united 
Mussulman  fanaticism,  which  gives  to  the  believer  a  glimpse 
of  the  gates  of  a  paradise  where  the  abnormally  excited 
senses  revel  in  endless  and  numberless  enjoyments,  a  long- 


360  APPENDIX    A. 

ing  for  extinction  takes  hold  of  him  and  throws  him  like  a 
wild  beast  on  his  enemies ;  he  stabs  them  and  gladly  invites 
their  daggers  in  return.  The  juramentado  kills  for  the  sake 
of  killing,  and  being  killed,  and  so  winning,  in  exchange  for 
a  life  of  privation  and  suffering,  the  voluptuous  existence 
promised  by  Mahomet  to  his  followers. 

The  laws  of  Sulu  make  the  bankrupt  debtor  the  slave  of 
his  creditor,  and  not  only  the  man  himself,  but  his  family 
also  are  enslaved.  To  free  them  there  is  only  one  means 
left  to  the  husband,  —  the  sacrifice  of  his  life.  Reduced  to 
this  extremity  he  does  not  hesitate,  —  he  takes  the  formidable 
oath.  From  that  time  forward  he  is  enrolled  in  the  ranks 
of  the  jurammtadoS)  and  has  nothing  to  do  but  await  the 
hour  when  the  will  of  his  superior  shall  let  him  loose  upon 
the  Christians.  Meanwhile  the  panditas,  or  priests,  subject 
him  to  a  system  of  enthusiastic  excitement  that  will  turn 
him  into  a  wild  beast  of  the  most  formidable  kind.  They 
madden  his  already  disordered  brain,  they  make  still  more 
supple  his  oily  limbs,  until  they  have  the  strength  of  steel 
and  the  nervous  force  of  the  tiger  or  panther.  They  sing 
to  him  their  rhythmic  impassioned  chants,  which  show  to 
his  entranced  vision  the  radiant  smiles  of  intoxicating 
houris.  In  the  shadow  of  the  lofty  forests,  broken  by  the 
gleam  of  the  moonlight,  they  evoke  the  burning  and  sen- 
sual energies  of  the  eternally  young  and  beautiful  com- 
panions who  are  calling  him,  opening  their  arms  to  receive 
him.  Thus  prepared,  the  juramentado  is  ready  for  every- 
thing. Nothing  can  stop  him,  nothing  can  make  him  recoil. 
He  will  accomplish  prodigies  of  valour.  Though  stricken  ten 
times  he  will  remain  on  his  feet,  will  strike  back,  borne 
along  by  a  buoyancy  that  is  irresistible,  until  the  moment 
when  death  seizes  him.  He  will  creep  with  his  companions 
into  the  city  that  has  been  assigned  to  him ;  he  knows  that 
he  will  never  leave  it,  but  he  knows  also  that  he  will  not  die 


THE    PHILIPPINE    ISLANDS.  361 

alone,  and  he  has  but  one  aim,  —  to  butcher  as  many 
Christians  as  he  can. 

An  eminent  scientist,  Doctor  Montano,  sent  on  a  mission 
to  the  Philippines  by  the  French  government,  describes  the 
entry  of  eleven  juramentados  into  Tianggi.  Divided  into 
three  or  four  bands,  they  managed  to  get  through  the  gates 
of  the  town  bending  under  loads  of  fodder  for  cattle  which 
they  pretended  to  have  for  sale,  and  in  which  they  had 
hidden  their  creeses.  Quick  as  lightning  they  stabbed 
the  guards,  then,  in  their  frenzied  course,  they  struck  all 
whom  they  met. 

Hearing  the  cry  of  "Los  juramentados t "  the  soldiers 
seized  their  arms.  The  juramentados  rushed  on  them  fear- 
lessly, their  creeses  clutched  in  their  hands.  The  bullets 
fell  like  hail  among  them.  They  bent,  crept,  glided,  and 
struck.  One  of  them,  whose  breast  was  pierced  through 
and  through  by  a  bullet,  rose  and  flung  himself  on  the 
troops.  He  was  again  transfixed  by  a  bayonet;  he  re- 
mained erect,  vainly  trying  to  reach  his  enemy,  who  held 
him  impaled  on  the  weapon.  Another  soldier  had  to  run  up 
and  blow  the  man's  brains  out  before  he  let  go  his  prey. 
When  the  last  of  the  juramentados  had  fallen,  and  the  corpses 
were  picked  up  from  the  street  which  consternation  had 
rendered  empty,  it  was  found  that  these  eleven  men  had, 
with  their  creeses,  hacked  fifteen  soldiers  to  pieces,  not  to 
reckon  the  wounded. 

"  And  what  wounds  1 "  exclaims  Doctor  Montano ;  "  the 
head  of  one  corpse  is  cut  off  as  clean  as  if  it  had  been  done 
with  the  sharpest  razor;  another  soldier  is  almost  cut  in 
two !  The  first  of  the  wounded  to  come  under  my  hands 
was  a  soldier  of  the  Third  Regiment,  who  was  mounting 
guard  at  the  gate  through  which  some  of  the  assassins 
entered.  His  left  arm  was  fractured  in  three  places;  his 
shoulder  and  breast  were  literally  cut  up  like  mince-meat ; 


362  APPENDIX    A. 

amputation  appeared  to  be  the  only  chance  for  him ;  but  in 
that  lacerated  flesh  there  was  no  longer  a  spot  from  which 
could  be  cut  a  shred." 

It  is  easily  seen  how  precarious  and  nominal  has  been 
Spanish  rule  on  most  of  the  islands  of  this  vast  archipelago. 
In  the  interior  of  the  great  island  of  Mindanao  there  is  no 
system  of  control,  no  pretence  even  of  maintaining  order. 
It  is  a  land  of  terror,  the  realm  of  anarchy  and  cruelty. 
There  murder  is  a  regular  institution.  A  bagani,  or  man  of 
might,  is  a  gallant  warrior  who  has  cut  off  sixty  heads.  The 
number  is  carefully  verified  by  the  tribal  authorities,  and 
the  bagani  alone  possesses  the  right  to  wear  a  scarlet  turban. 
All  the  batos,  or  chiefs,  are  baganis.  It  is  carnage  organised, 
honoured,  and  consecrated ;  and  so  the  depopulation  is 
frightful,  the  wretchedness  unspeakable. 

The  Mandayas  are  forced  to  seek  a  refuge  from  would-be 
baganis  by  perching  on  the  tops  of  trees  like  birds,  but  their 
aerial  abodes  do  not  always  shelter  them  from  their  enemies. 
They  build  a  hut  on  a  trunk  from  forty  to  fifty  feet  in  height, 
and  huddle  together  in  it  to  pass  the  night,  and  to  be  in 
sufficient  numbers  to  repulse  their  assailants.  The  baganis 
generally  try  to  take  their  victims  by  surprise,  and  begin 
their  attack  with  burning  arrows,  with  which  they  endeavour 
to  set  on  fire  the  bamboo  roof.  Sometimes  the  besiegers 
form  a  testudo,  like  the  ancient  Romans,  with  their  locked 
shields,  and  advance  under  cover  up  to  the  posts,  which 
they  attack  with  their  axes,  while  the  besieged  hurl  down 
showers  of  stones  upon  their  heads.  But,  once  their  ammu- 
nition is  exhausted,  the  hapless  Mandayas  have  nothing  to 
do  but  witness,  as  impotent  spectators,  the  work  of  destruc- 
tion, until  the  moment  comes  when  their  habitation  topples 
over  and  falls.  Then  the  captives  are  divided  among  the 
assailants.  The  heads  of  the  old  men  and  of  the  wounded  are 
cut  off,  and  the  women  and  children  are  led  away  as  slaves. 


THE    PHILIPPINE    ISLANDS.  363 

The  genius  of  destructiveness  seems  incarnate  in  this 
Malay  race.  The  missionaries  alone  venture  to  travel 
among  these  ferocious  tribes.  They,  too,  have  made  the 
sacrifice  of  their  lives,  and,  holding  life  worth  nothing,  they 
have  succeeded  in  winning  the  respect  of  these  savages  in 
evangelising  and  converting  them.  They  work  for  God 
and  for  their  country,  and  the  poorest  and  most  wretched 
among  the  natives  are  not  unwilling  to  accept  the  faith  and 
to  submit  to  Spain ;  but  the  missionaries  insist  on  their 
leaving  their  homes  and  going  to  another  district,  to  which, 
for  many  reasons,  the  neophytes  gladly  consent.  After 
several  days'  journey  a  pueblo  is  founded.  These  villages 
have  multiplied  for  many  years  past,  forming  oases  of  com- 
parative peace  and  civilisation  amid  the  barbarism  by  which 
they  are  surrounded,  and  are  open  to  all  who  choose  to  seek 
a  shelter  in  them.  The  more  neophytes  the  pueblo  holds, 
the  less  exposed  it  is  to  hostile  incursions.  Doctor  Montano 
gives  a  very  striking  account  of  one  of  these  daring  mis- 
sionaries, Father  Saturnine  Urios,  of  the  Society  of  Jesus, 
who,  in  a  single  year,  converted  and  baptised  fifty-two  hundred 
people. 

There  are  thirty-one  islands  of  considerable  size  in  the 
Philippine  group.  Their  area  exceeds  that  of  Great  Britain. 
Pine  and  fir-trees  are  abundant.  Large  areas  are  suitable 
for  wheat  There  are  eight  ports  open  to  commerce.  The 
principal  exports  are  hemp,  sugar,  rice,  tobacco,  cigars, 
coffee,  and  cocoa.  Previous  to  the  rebellion  the  annual 
value  of  the  sugar  output  was  $30,000,000.  Now  it  is 
almost  nothing. 

The  population  of  the  islands  is  about  eight  million,  of 
which  more  than  three  million  are  in  Luzon,  the  insurgent 
stronghold. 

"  Under  the  administration  of  Spain  the  Philippines  were 
subject  to  a  governor-general  with  supreme  powers,  assisted 


364  APPENDIX    A. 

by  a  'junta  of  authorities  '  instituted  in  1850,  and  consisting 
of  the  archbishop,  the  commander  of  the  forces,  the  admiral, 
the  president  of  the  supreme  court,  etc. ;  a  central  junta  of 
agriculture,  industry,  and  commerce  (dating  from  1866),  and 
a  council  of  administration.  In  the  provinces  and  districts 
the  chief  power  is  in  the  hands  of  alcades  mayores  and  civ- 
ico-military  governors.  The  chief  magistrate  of  a  commune 
is  known  as  the  gobernadorcillo,  or  captain ;  the  native  who 
is  responsible  for  the  collection  of  the  tribute  of  a  certain 
group  of  families  is  the  cabeca  de  barangay.  Every  Indian 
between  the  ages  of  sixteen  and  sixty,  subject  to  Spain,  was 
forced  to  pay  tribute  to  the  amount  of  $1.17,  descendants  of 
the  first  Christians  of  Cebu,  new  converts,  gobernadorcillos, 
etc.,  being  exempted.  Chinese  were  subject  to  special  taxes, 
and  by  a  law  of  1883  Europeans  and  Spanish  half-castes 
were  required  to  pay  a  poll-tax  of  $2.50." 

The  largest  island  in  the  archipelago  is  Luzon,  with  an 
area  of  40,885  square  miles,  and  on  which  is  situated  the 
city  of  Manila. 

The  population  of  Manila,  as  given  in  the  consular  reports 
for  1880,  is  in  the  walled  town  12,000,  and  in  the  suburbs 
from  250,000  to  300,000. 

The  city  was  founded  in  1571,  and  is  situated  on  the 
eastern  shore  of  a  circular  bay  120  nautical  miles  in  circum- 
ference. It  looks  like  a  fragment  of  Spain  transplanted  to 
the  archipelago  of  Asia.  On  its  churches  and  convents,  even 
on  its  ruined  walls,  overturned  in  the  earthquake  of  1863, 
time  has  laid  the  brown,  sombre,  dull  gold  colouring  of  the 
mother  country.  The  ancient  city,  silent  and  melancholy, 
stretches  interminably  along  its  gloomy  streets,  bordered 
with  convents  whose  flat  fa9ades  are  only  broken  here  and 
there  by  a  few  narrow  windows.  But  there  is  also  a  new 
city  within  the  ramparts  of  Manila ;  it  is  sometimes  called 
the  Escolta,  from  the  name  of  its  central  quarter,  and  this 


THE    PHILIPPINE    ISLANDS.  365 

city  is  alive  with  its  dashing  teams,  its  noisy  crowd  of  Tagala 
women,  shod  in  high-heeled  shoes,  and  every  nerve  in  their 
bodies  quivering  with  excitement  They  are  almost  all 
employed  in  the  innumerable  cigar  factories  whose  output 
inundates  all  Asia. 

Here  all  sorts  of  nationalities  elbow  one  another,  —  Euro- 
peans, Chinese,  Malays,  Tagalas,  Negritos,  in  all  some 
260,000  people  of  every  known  race  and  of  every  known 
colour.  In  the  afternoon,  in  the  plain  of  Lunette,  carriages 
and  equipages  of  every  kind  drive  past,  and  pedestrians 
swarm  in  crowds  around  the  military  band  stand  in  the  mar- 
vellously picturesque  square,  lit  up  by  the  slanting  rays  of 
the  setting  sun,  which  purples  the  lofty  peaks  of  the  Sierra 
de  Marivels  in  the  distance,  unfolds  its  long,  luminous  train 
on  the  ocean,  and  tinges  with  a  dark  reddish  shade  the 
sombre  verdure  of  the  city's  sloping  banks.  This  is  the 
hour  when  all  the  inhabitants  hold  high  festival,  able  at 
length  to  breathe  freely  after  the  heat  of  the  noontide. 

The  primary  cause  of  the  Philippine  rebellion  was  exces- 
sive taxation  by  Spain  to  raise  money  to  carry  on  the  war  in 
Cuba.  The  islands  were  already  overburdened  with  assess- 
ments to  enrich  Spanish  coffers  and  to  support  the  native 
poor.  The  additional  money  required  for  Cuba  was  the  last 
straw. 

Extreme  cruelties  began  when  General  Aguirre  arrived 
from  Spain  with  reinforcements.  He  did  not  undertake  to 
penetrate  the  mountains,  but  massacred  the  native  popula- 
tion in  the  towns.  When  he  took  Santa  Clara  del  Laguna 
he  spared  neither  man,  woman,  nor  child.  The  people  in 
the  mountains  heard  of  this.  They  were  almost  wild  with 
fury,  but  they  were  helpless. 

It  is  stated,  on  what  seems  to  be  good  authority,  that  ten 
thousand  dead  prisoners  had  been  taken  from  prison  in  a 
year. 


366  APPENDIX    A. 

Three  years  ago  it  cost  the  government  a  little  more  than 
half  a  cent  to  collect  every  dollar  of  taxation.  In  Luzon,  it 
now  costs  ninety-five  cents.  The  only  taxes  that  can  be 
profitably  collected  are  those  in  Manila.  The  rich  islands  of 
Leyte  and  Mindanao  contribute  practically  nothing. 

The  first  islands  to  revolt  were  Luzon,  Mindanao,  and 
Leyte.  About  one  year  and  a  half  ago,  agents  of  the  insur- 
rectionists appealed  to  the  government  at  Washington  to 
interfere  in  their  behalf.  The  petition  was  received  and 
filed. 

In  the  hot  season,  during  the  greater  part  of  the  day,  the 
heat  is  so  intense  that  Europeans  frequently  fall  with  heat 
apoplexy.  Even  the  Spaniards  do  their  business  in  the  early 
hours,  whiling  away  the  heat  of  the  day  in  sleep.  Late  in 
the  afternoon  Manila  begins  to  awaken. 

The  Escolta,  or  principal  street,  is  crowded  with  loungers 
of  all  ranks  and  colours,  each  with  a  segarito  stuck  pen-like 
behind  his  ear.  Caromattas,  a  species  of  two-wheeled 
hooded  cabriolets  peculiar  to  the  natives,  crowd  the  road- 
way, together  with  the  buggies  and  open  carriages  of  the 
foreign  element. 

At  sunset  the  various  tobacco  stores  close,  and  their  thou- 
sand of  employees  turn  out  into  the  streets.  They  form  a 
motley  yet  effective  feature  among  the  wayfarers.  The  Malay 
girls  are  usually  very  pretty,  with  languishing  eyes,  shaded 
by  long  lashes,  and  supple  figures,  whose  graceful  lines  are 
revealed  by  their  thin  clothing.  In  fine  weather  their  bare 
feet  are  thrust  into  light,  gold-embroidered  slippers.  In  wet 
weather  they  raise  themselves  on  high  clogs,  which  neces- 
sitates a  very  becoming  swinging  of  the  hips. 

There  is  not  a  bonnet  to  be  seen.  Women  of  the  better 
classes  affect  lace  and  flowers,  those  of  the  lower  wear  their 
own  hair  flowing  down  their  backs,  in  a  long,  blue-black 
wave.  Jewelry  is  profusely  worn.  Every  woman  sparkles 


THE    PHILIPPINE    ISLANDS.  367 

with  bracelets,  earrings,  and  chains.  Many  of  the  males 
are  similarly  attired.  Everybody  smokes.  Cigarettes  at  fif- 
teen for  a  cent  are  in  chief  favour  with  the  natives.  Cigars 
at  $1.50  a  hundred  are  in  favour  with  the  foreigners.  The 
handful  of  Englishmen  resident  in  Manila  are  mostly  bach- 
elors, eager  to  make  their  pile  and  return  to  pleasanter 
surroundings.  These  take  up  their  quarters  in  a  large 
house  at  Sampalog,  which  is  club  and  boarding-house  com- 
bined, or  in  '•  chummeries,"  established  in  adjacent  build- 
ings. 

The  Spaniards  classify  all  the  Philippine  islanders  under 
three  religious  groups,  —  the  infidels,  who  have  held  to  their 
ancient  heathen  rights,  the  Moors,  who  retain  the  Mahom- 
etan religion  of  their  first  conquerors,  and  the  infinitely 
larger  class  of  Catholics. 

An  important,  though  numerically  small,  element  in  the 
population  of  the  larger  cities  are  the  mestizos,  or  half- 
breeds,  the  result  of  admixture  either  between  the  Chinese 
or  the  Spanish  and  the  natives.  These  mestizos  occupy 
about  the  same  social  position  as  the  mulattos  of  the  United 
States.  But  they  are  the  richest  and  most  enterprising 
among  the  native  population. 

The  most  important  personage  is  the  cura,  or  parish 
priest.  He  is  in  most  instances  a  Spaniard  by  birth,  and 
enrolled  in  one  or  other  of  the  three  great  religious  orders, 
Augustinian,  Franciscan,  or  Dominican,  established  by  the 
conquerors.  At  heart,  however,  he  is  usually  as  much,  if 
not  more,  of  a  native  than  the  natives  themselves.  He  is 
bound  for  life  to  the  land  of  his  adoption.  He  has  no  social 
or  domestic  tie,  no  anticipated  home  return,  to  bind  him  to 
any  other  place. 

Next  to  the  church,  the  greatest  Sunday  and  holiday 
resort  in  a  Philippine  village  is  the  cock-pit,  usually  a 
large  building  wattled  like  a  coarse  basket  and  surrounded 


368  APPENDIX    A. 

by  a  high  paling  of  the  same  description,  which  forms  a  sort 
of  courtyard,  where  cocks  are  kept  waiting  their  turn  to 
come  upon  the  stage,  when  their  owners  have  succeeded  in 
arranging  a  satisfactory  match.  It  is  claimed  that  many  a 
respectable  Malay  father  has  been  seen  escaping  from  amid 
the  ruins  of  his  burning  home  bearing  away  in  his  arms  his 
favourite  bird,  while  wife  and  children  were  left  to  shift  for 
themselves. 

The  diet  of  the  Philippines  has  something  to  do,  undoubt- 
edly, with  their  gentle  and  non-aggressive  qualities.  They 
eschew  opium  and  spirituous  liquors.  Their  chief  suste- 
nance, morning,  noon,  and  eve,  is  rice.  The  rice  crop  seldom 
fails,  not  merely  to  support  the  population,  but  to  leave  a 
large  margin  for  export.  Famine,  that  hideous  shadow 
which  broods  over  so  many  a  rice-subsisting  population,  is 
unknown  here.  Even  scarcity  is  of  rare  occurrence.  In  the 
worst  of  years  hardly  a  sack  of  grain  has  to  be  imported. 
It  is  this  very  abundance  which  stands  in  the  way  of  what 
the  world  calls  progress.  The  Malay,  like  other  children  of 
the  tropics,  limits  his  labour  by  the  measure  of  his  require- 
ments, and  that  measure  is  narrow  indeed.  Hence  it  is  often 
difficult  to  obtain  his  services  in  the  development  of  the  to- 
bacco, coffee,  hemp,  and  sugar  industries,  which  might  make 
the  archipelago  one  of  the  wealthiest  and  most  prosperous 
portions  of  the  earth's  face. 

Manila  has  been  once  before  captured  from  Spain.  The 
English  were  its  captors,  although  they  held  it  only  a  few 
months.  It  was  in  1762,  a  few  weeks  after  the  English 
capture  of  Havana.  Spain  had  been  rash  enough  to  side 
with  France  in  the  war  usually  known  in  this  country  as  the 
French  and  Indian  war.  She  was  speedily  punished  for  it. 

The  expedition  against  Manila  was  the  plan  of  Colonel 
William  Draper;  he  was  made  a  brigadier-general  for  the 
expedition  and  put  in  command,  with  Admiral  Cornish  as 


THE    PHILIPPINE    ISLANDS.  369 

his  naval  ally.  There  were  nine  ships  of  the  line  and  frigates, 
several  troop-ships,  and  a  land  force  of  twenty-three  hundred 
including  one  English  regiment,  with  Sepoys  and  marines. 

On  September  24,  1762,  these  forces  were  disembarked 
just  south  of  Manila.  The  Archbishop  of  Manila,  who  was 
also  governor-general  of  the  island,  collected  and  armed 
some  ten  thousand  natives,  as  a  reinforcement  to  the 
Spanish  garrison  of  eight  hundred.  During  the  progress  of 
the  siege  some  daring  attempts  were  made  by  the  British  to 
prevent  the  further  construction  of  defences,  but  the  assail- 
ants were  repulsed  with  great  slaughter. 

A  desperate  sally  was  made  by  a  strong  body  of  natives, 
who  "  ran  furiously  on  the  ranks  of  the  besiegers  and  fought 
with  almost  incredible  ferocity,  and  many  of  them  died,  like 
wild  beasts,  gnawing  with  their  teeth  the  bayonets  by 
which  they  were  transfixed." 

On  October  6th  a  breach  was  effected  in  the  Spanish  works, 
the  English  carried  the  city  by  storm,  and  gave  it  up  for 
several  hours  to  the  ravages  of  a  merciless  soldiery.  The 
Archbishop  and  his  officers  had  retired  to  the  citadel,  but 
this  could  not  be  defended,  and  a  capitulation  was  agreed 
upon,  by  which  the  city  and  port  of  Manila,  with  several 
ships  and  the  military  stores,  were  surrendered,  while  for 
their  private  property  the  Spanish  agreed  to  pay  as  a  ransom 
$2,000,000  in  coin,  and  the  same  in  bills  on  the  treasury 
at  Madrid.  This  last  obligation  was  never  paid. 


APPENDIX   B. 

WARSHIPS   AND    SIGNALS. 

THERE  are  ten  principal  classes  of  vessels  in  the 
United  States  navy,  distinguished  one  from  another 
by  the  differences  in  their  uses  and  by  their  strength  and 
speed.  The  general  principle  underlying  their  construction  is 
that  a  vessel  which  is  not  strong  enough  to  fight  one  of  her 
own  size  must  be  fast  enough  to  run  away.  Any  vessel 
which  is  inferior  in  armament,  and  has  no  compensating 
superiority  in  speed,  is  outclassed.  The  same  is  true  of  any 
vessel  which  is  equal  in  armament,  but  inferior  in  speed  to 
an  adversary. 

The  size  of  a  vessel  is  measured  by  its  displacement. 
This  displacement  is  the  number  of  tons  of  water  she  will 
push  aside  to  make  room  for  herself.  A  vessel  of  ten  thou- 
sand tons  will  take  engines  of  a  certain  weight  and  power  to 
drive  her  at  a  given  speed,  and  the  larger  the  engine  the 
larger  the  boilers  and  the  greater  the  supply  of  coal  required. 
Now,  if  it  is  necessary  to  give  this  vessel  heavy  protective 
armour  and  big  guns,  the  additional  weight  of  this  equip- 
ment must  be  saved  somewhere  else,  and  usually  in  the 
engine-room,  reducing  the  speed  of  the  vessel.  Following 
out  this  principle,  it  will  be  found  that  the  fastest  ships 
carry  the  lightest  armament,  and  that  those  which  carry  the 
biggest  guns  in  their  batteries  and  the  thickest  armour  on 
their  sides  are  comparatively  slow,  the  extreme  variation 
among  vessels  of  the  same  displacement  being  about  eight 
or  nine  miles  an  hour. 

370 


WARSHIPS    AND    SIGNALS.  371 

In  the  matter  of  attack  and  defence,  vessels  are  distin- 
guished by  the  number  and  weight  of  the  guns  they  carry, 
and  by  the  distribution  and  thickness  of  their  armour. 
Protective  armour  is  of  two  kinds,  that  which  surrounds  the 
guns,  so  as  to  protect  them  from  the  enemy's  fire,  and  that 
which  protects  the  motive-power  of  the  ship,  so  as  to  prevent 
the  engines  from  being  rendered  useless. 

The  maximum  of  guns  and  armour  and  the  minimum  of 
speed  are  to  be  found  in  the  first-class  battle-ship,  which  is 
simply  a  floating  fortress,  so  constructed  that  she  need 
never  run  away,  but  can  stand  up  and  fight  as  long  as  her 
gun  turrets  revolve.  The  general  plan  of  construction  in  a 
battle-ship  is  to  surround  the  engines,  boilers,  and  maga- 
zines with  a  wall  of  Harveyized  steel  armour  eighteen 
inches  or  so  thick,  and  seven  or  eight  feet  high,  which 
extends  about  four  feet  below  the  water-line  and  three  feet 
above  it.  This  armour  belt  is  not  only  on  the  sides  of  the 
ship,  but  is  carried  across  it  fore  and  aft,  immediately  in 
front  of  and  behind  the  space  occupied  by  the  engines  and 
magazines,  and  the  whole  affair  is  covered  with  a  solid  steel 
roof  three  or  four  inches  thick.  Outside  this  central  for- 
tress, and  extending  from  it  clear  to  the  bow  and  stern  at 
each  end,  is  a  protective  deck  of  steel,  three  inches  thick, 
which  is  placed  several  feet  below  the  water-line.  Every- 
thing above  this  deck  and  outside  this  fortress  might  be 
shot  away,  and  the  vessel  would  still  float  and  fight. 

On  the  roof  of  the  fortress  are  placed  the  turrets  contain- 
ing the  big  guns.  The  largest  of  these  guns,  13-inch  calibre, 
weigh  about  sixty  tons  each,  and  will  carry  a  shell  weighing 
eleven  hundred  pounds  about  twelve  miles.  The  turrets 
are  circular,  as  a  rule,  large  enough  to  hold  two  guns,  and 
are  made  of  face-hardened  steel  from  fifteen  to  eighteen 
inches  thick.  They  revolve  within  a  barbette  or  ring  of 
steel  eighteen  inches  thick,  which  protects  the  machinery  by 


372  APPENDIX    B. 

which  the  guns  are  trained.  Farther  back  on  the  roof  of 
the  fortress  are  other  and  lighter  turrets  made  of  8-inch 
steel  and  carrying  8-inch  guns,  and  at  other  places  are 
stationed  rapid-fire  guns  of  lighter  calibre,  protected  by 
thinner  armour  than  that  of  the  main  belt. 

If  all  this  secondary  battery  is  stripped  off,  leaving 
nothing  but  the  turrets  with  the  big  guns,  and  these  are 
brought  down  close  to  the  water,  and  the  armour  belt  is 
reduced  to  seven  or  eight  inches  in  thickness,  the  type  of 
vessel  known  as  the  monitor  is  reached.  It  is  simply  a 
battle-ship  on  a  reduced  scale.  Such  vessels  are  very  slow 
and  cannot  stand  rough  weather,  on  account  of  their  low 
freeboard.  The  speed  of  the  monitors  is  seldom  more  than 
twelve  or  fourteen  miles  an  hour,  and  they  are  intended  to 
act  in  coast  defence,  usually  in  connection  with  shore-bat- 
teries. The  best  types  in  the  navy  are  the  Terror  and  the 
Puritan. 

The  speed  of  a  battle-ship  is  about  eighteen  miles  an 
hour.  The  best  specimen  in  the  navy  is  the  Indiana,  de- 
clared by  its  admirers  to  be  the  most  powerful  battle-ship 
afloat.  Second-class  battle-ships,  like  the  Texas,  are  smaller 
vessels,  usually  about  seven  thousand  tons,  and  they  have 
a  much  lighter  armour  belt,  about  twelve  inches,  and  do  not 
carry  so  heavy  an  armament  as  ships  of  the  first  class.  The 
Maine  was  a  second-class  battle-ship.  Her  largest  guns 
were  of  lo-inch  calibre ;  her  armour  was  twelve  inches  thick, 
and  her  turrets  were  eight  inches  thick  only. 

The  first  step  in  reducing  the  armament  from  that  of  the 
battle-ship  proper,  at  the  same  time  increasing  the  speed, 
produces  the  armoured  cruiser.  This  type  of  vessel  may 
carry  no  guns  of  more  than  8-inch  calibre,  and  the  armour 
belt  is  reduced  to  three  or  four  inches  in  thickness.  Instead 
of  the  roof  over  the  armour  belt,  the  protective  deck  is  car- 
ried all  over  the  ship,  but  it  is  not  flat,  nor  is  it  of  equal 


WARSHIPS    AND    SIGNALS.  373 

thickness,  as  in  a  battle-ship.  On  the  top  and  in  the  middle 
it  is  three  inches  thick,  but  the  sides  are  six  inches  and  they 
slope  abruptly  to  below  the  water-line.  Between  these 
sloping  sides  and  the  thin  armour  belt  coal  is  stored,  so 
that  a  shell  would  have  to  penetrate  the  outer  belt,  six  or 
eight  feet  of  coal,  and  a  sloping  belt  of  steel  six  inches 
thick,  the  total  resistance  of  which  is  calculated  to  be  equal 
to  a  solid  horizontal  armour  plate  fifteen  inches  thick. 

A  cruiser  is  not  supposed  to  fight  with  a  battle-ship, 
because  it  could  not  accomplish  anything  with  its  8-inch 
guns  against  the  i8-inch  armour  of  its  heavier  rival,  while 
one  well-directed  shot  from  the  1 2-inch  guns  of  a  battle-ship 
or  monitor  would  probably  sink  any  armoured  cruiser  afloat. 
For  this  reason  the  cruiser  must  be  faster  than  the  battle- 
ship, so  that  she  can  run  away,  and  the  weight  that  is  saved 
in  the  armour  belt  and  big  guns  is  therefore  put  into  the 
engine-room.  The  average  speed  of  an  armoured  cruiser  is 
about  twenty-four  miles  an  hour,  and  the  best  types  of  this 
class  in  the  navy  are  probably  the  Brooklyn  and  New  York. 

Some  vessels,  like  the  Spaniard  Vizcaya,  are  about  half 
way  between  a  battle-ship  and  a  cruiser,  having  the  heavy 
guns  of  the  former  and  the  speed  of  the  latter.  The  Vizcaya, 
although  a  cruiser,  carried  n-inch  guns  with  a  i2-inch 
armour  belt,  and  had  a  speed  of  twenty-three  miles  an  hour. 

The  next  step  in  reducing  armament  and  increasing 
speed,  produced  the  protected  cruiser,  which  carries  no 
armour  belt,  but  retains  the  protective  deck,  upon  the 
sloping  sides  of  which  is  stored  the  coal.  The  turrets 
disappear  altogether,  and  there  is  usually  only  one  8-inch 
gun,  the  battery  being  principally  made  up  of  4-inch  rapid- 
fire  guns  and  6,  4,  and  i-pounders.  As  this  class  of  vessel 
is  not  able  to  cope  with  the  armoured  cruiser,  it  must  be 
faster,  for  the  general  principle  holds  good  that  the  weaker 
the  vessel  becomes  in  point  of  offensive  weapons  or  defensive 


374  APPENDIX    B. 

armour,  the  greater  the  necessity  that  she  should  be  able  to 
run  away.  The  best  types  of  the  protected  cruiser  in  the 
navy  may  be  found  in  the  Columbia  and  Minneapolis,  which 
have  a  speed  of  about  twenty-seven  miles  an  hour. 

The  weakest  class  of  all  is  composed  of  the  unprotected 
cruisers,  which  have  neither  armour-belt  nor  protective  deck, 
and  carry  only  light  batteries  of  rapid-fire  guns.  When  these 
vessels  are  slow,  like  the  Detroit,  they  are  intended  for  long 
voyages  and  for  duty  in  foreign  countries,  and  are  of  little 
use  in  a  sea  fight.  The  very  fast  unprotected  cruiser,  like 
the  American  line  steamers,  St.  Paul  and  St.  Louis,  attach 
little  importance  to  their  armament,  and  rely  for  protection- 
upon  stowing  the  coal  behind  the  place  occupied  by  the 
armour  belt  in  other  vessels.  All  the  beautiful  wood-work, 
which  was  so  much  admired  in  these  vessels,  was  ripped 
out  to  make  room  for  these  coal-bunkers,  which  are  suffi- 
cient to  protect  them  from  anything  but  the  heaviest  guns. 
On  account  of  their  extreme  weakness  as  fighters,  these 
cruisers  are  necessarily  the  fastest  of  all  the  large  vessels, 
and  can  run  away  from  anything.  For  this  reason  no 
concern  was  felt  for  the  Paris  by  those  who  knew  the 
principles  which  govern  the  safety  of  modern  vessels. 

The  various  types  of  cruisers  are  not  expected  to  fight 
with  any  but  vessels  of  their  own  class,  which  they  may 
encounter  in  the  discharge  of  similar  duties,  such  as  scour- 
ing the  seas  as  the  advance  guard  of  the  slower  line  of 
battle-ships,  preying  upon  or  escorting  merchant  vessels, 
blockading  ports,  and  acting  as  convoys  for  troop-ships. 
Gunboats  are  simply  light-draught  cruisers,  and  are  intended 
for  use  in  shallow  waters  and  rivers. 

Torpedo-boats,  as  their  name  implies,  depend  entirely 
upon  the  torpedo  as  the  weapon  of  attack,  and  they  carry 
no  guns  except  a  very  few  light-calibre  rapid-fires  to  keep 
off  small  boats.  Their  success  depends  on  their  ability 


WARSHIPS    AND    SIGNALS.  375 

to  approach  a  vessel  very  rapidly,  launch  their  torpedo,  and 
retreat  before  they  are  detected  and  sunk.  Speed  is  their 
great  requisite,  and  a  torpedo-boat  like  the  Porter  can  speed 
thirty-two  miles  an  hour.  Naval  experts  consider  their  bark 
worse  than  their  bite,  because,  with  the  modern  system  of 
lookouts  and  search-lights,  and  the  accuracy  and  rapidity 
of  the  secondary  batteries,  it  is  impossible  for  a  torpedo- 
boat  to  get  within  range  without  exposing  itself  to  instant 
destruction,  and  after  a  torpedo-fleet  has  once  met  with  a 
serious  repulse,  it  is  believed  that  it  would  be  almost 
impossible  to  get  the  crews  to  go  into  action  again. 

The  torpedo-boat  destroyer,  contrary  to  general  belief, 
does  not  carry  any  heavy  guns,  but  depends  on  its  great 
speed  and  its  ability  to  cripple  a  torpedo-boat  with  its 
6-pounders  while  keeping  out  of  range  of  the  enemy's  tubes. 
All  torpedo-boat  destroyers  carry  torpedo  tubes  themselves, 
so  that  they  can  be  used  against  the  enemy's  battle-ships  or 
cruisers  if  the  occasion  offers.  The  fastest  boat  in  the 
United  States  navy  is  the  destroyer  Bailey,  which  can  steam 
thirty-four  miles  an  hour. 

In  a  naval  battle  the  success  or  failure  of  a  fleet  may 
depend  on  keeping  open  communication  between  the  differ- 
ent vessels  of  the  squadron  engaged.  Owing  to  the  fact 
that  the  surface  of  the  sea  would  often  be  obscured  by  the 
smoke  of  battle,  the  difficulty  of  this  is  apparent,  and  naval 
experts  have  been  kept  busy  devising  some  method  by  which 
the  flag-ship  can  communicate  with  the  other  vessels  of  the 
squadron  at  all  times  and  under  all  conditions.  So  far 
nothing  has  been  put  in  general  service  which  meets  this 
demand,  but  lately  there  have  been  experiments  with  the 
telephone,  which,  it  is  said,  can  be  used  without  wires,  by 
which  signals  can  be  projected  by  a  vibrator  on  one  vessel 
against  a  receiver  on  another.  The  Navy  Department  is 


376  APPENDIX    B. 

keeping  the  details  of  this  new  system  carefully  to  itself,  as 
it  desires  to  have  the  invention  for  the  exclusive  use  of  our 
own  ships  of  battle. 

The  present  method  of  communication  is  by  the  use  of 
flags  representing  numerals  which  are  displayed  in  the  rig- 
ging ;  by  the  use  of  the  Ardois  system  of  lights  for  night 
work ;  by  the  Myer  code  of  wigwag  signals,  and  by  the  use 
of  the  heliograph.  As  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that 
the  enemy  should  not  read  the  message,  the  signal  books  on 
board  a  vessel  are  protected  with  the  greatest  care,  and  are 
destroyed  along  with  the  cipher  code  whenever  it  is  seen  that 
capture  is  inevitable.  The  semaphore  system  in  use  in  the 
British  navy  was  tried  for  a  time  aboard  some  of  our  vessels, 
but  it  never  became  popular,  and  has  been  abandoned. 

In  signalling  by  the  navy  code,  the  sentence  to  be  sent  is 
looked  up  in  the  code-book  and  its  corresponding  number  is 
obtained.  This  number  is  never  more  than  four  figures,  on 
account  of  the  necessity  of  setting,  the  signal  with  the  least 
delay.  The  number  having  been  obtained,  the  quarter- 
master in  charge  of  the  signal-chest  proceeds  to  bend  the 
flags  representing  the  numerals  to  the  signal  halliards,  so  as 
to  read  from  the  top  down.  These  flags  represent  the  nu- 
merals from  one  to  nine  and  cipher,  and  there  is  a  triangular 
pennant  termed  a  repeater,  which  is  used  in  a  combination 
where  one  or  more  numerals  recur.  The  numbers  refer  to 
those  found  in  the  general  signal-book,  in  which  are  printed 
all  the  words,  phrases,  and  sentences  necessary  to  frame  an 
order,  make  an  inquiry,  indicate  a  geographical  position,  or 
signal  a  compass  course.  Answering,  interrogatory,  prepara- 
tory, and  geographical  pennants  form  part  of  this  code  ;  also 
telegraph,  danger,  despatch,  and  quarantine  flags. 

The  signal,  having  been  prepared,  is  hoisted  and  left 
flying  until  the  vessel  to  which  the  message  has  been  sent 
signifies  that  it  is  understood  by  hoisting  what  is  called  the 


WARSHIPS    AND    SIGNALS.  377 

answering  pennant.  If  the  number  hoisted  by  the  flag-ship 
is  a  preparatory  order  for  a  fleet  movement,  it  is  left  flying 
until  all  the  vessels  of  the  fleet  have  answered,  and  then  is 
pulled  down,  the  act  of  pulling  the  signal  down  being  under- 
stood as  the  command  for  the  execution  of  the  movement 
just  communicated. 

It  is  often  necessary  for  a  man-of-war  to  communicate 
with  a  merchant  vessel,  or  with  some  other  war-ship  belong- 
ing to  a  foreign  country.  For  this  purpose  the  international 
code  is  also  carried  in  the  signal-chest.  These  signals  are 
those  in  general  use  by  all  the  merchant  navies  of  the 
world  for  communication  by  day  at  sea.  There  are  eight- 
een flags  and  a  code  pennant,  corresponding  to  the  conso- 
nants of  the  alphabet,  omitting  x  and  z.  The  code  pennant 
is  also  used  with  these  signals. 

If  a  message  is  to  be  sent  at  night,  the  Ardois  system  of 
ni£ht  signals,  with  which  all  our  vessels  carrying  an  electric 
plant  are  fitted,  is  employed.  These  signals  consist  essen- 
tially of  five  groups  of  double  lamps,  the  two  lamps  in  each 
group  containing  incandescent  electric  lamps,  and  showing 
white  and  red  respectively.  By  the  combination  of  these 
lights  letters  can  be  formed,  and  so,  letter  by  letter,  a  word, 
and  hence  an  order,  can  be  spelled  out  for  the  guidance  of 
the  ships  of  the  squadron.  These  lamps  are  suspended  on 
a  stay  in  the  rigging,  and  are  worked  by  a  keyboard  from  the 
upper  bridge. 

On  the  smaller  ships  of  the  service,  those  which  are  not 
fitted  with  electric  lighting,  Very's  night  signals  are  used. 
This  set  includes  the  implements  for  firing  and  recharging 
the  signals. 

The  latter  show  green  and  red  stars  on  being  projected 
from  pistols  made  for  them.  The  combination  in  various 
ways  is  used  to  express  the  numbers  from  one  to  nine  and 
cipher,  so  that  the  numbers,  to  four  digits,  contained  in  the 


37$  APPENDIX    B. 

signal-book,  may  be  displayed.  The  Myer  wigwag  system  is 
employed  either  by  day  or  by  night.  Flags  and  torches  are 
employed.  The  official  flag  is  a  red  field  with  a  small  white 
square  in  the  centre ;  the  unofficial  flag  is  the  same  with  the 
colours  reversed.  The  operator,  having  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  the  ship  which  is  to  be  signalled  by  waving  the  flag 
or  torch  from  right  to  left,  transmits  his  message  by  motions 
right,  left,  and  front,  each  motion  the  element  of  a  letter  of 
the  alphabet,  the  letter  being  made  up  of  from  one  to  four 
motions. 

When  circumstances  permit,  the  heliograph  is  sometimes 
used.  The  rays  of  the  sun  are  thrown  by  a  system  of 
mirrors  to  the  point  with  which  it  is  desired  to  communicate, 
and  then  interrupted  by  means  of  a  shutter,  making  dots 
and  dashes  as  used  in  the  Morse  telegraph  code.  This  sys- 
tem is  used  only  when  operations  ashore  are  going  on,  as  the 
rolling  of  the  ship  would  prevent  the  concentration  of  the 
sun's  rays. 

The  present  systems  of  flag  signalling  are  products  of 
experience  in  the  past,  and  are  the  natural  growth  of  the 
cruder  flag  system  in  use  during  the  War  of  1812,  and  in 
the  Civil  War.  There  have  been  some  changes  in  the  con- 
struction of  flags,  and  the  scope  of  communication  has  been 
enlarged,  but  otherwise  our  forefathers  talked  at  sea  in  much 
the  same  way  as  we  do  now.  Of  course  the  Ardois  light 
signal  is  something  very  modern.  In  old  times  they  com- 
municated at  night  either  with  coloured  lights  or  by  torches, 
and,  as  there  was  no  alphabetical  code  in  those  days,  the 
process  was  by  means  of  flashes  (representing  numbers  in 
the  signal  book),  and  it  was  long  and  tedious. 


APPENDIX  C. 

SANTIAGO    DE   CUBA. 

SANTIAGO  is  the  most  easterly  city  on  the  southern 
coast  of  Cuba,  second  only  to  Havana  in  its  strategic 
and  political  importance,  and  is  the  capital  of  the  eastern 
department,  as  well  as  its  most  flourishing  seaport. 

The  harbour,  now  become  famous  as  a  theatre  of  action 
where  American  heroism  was  displayed,  is  thus  described  by 
Mr.  Samuel  Hazard,  in  his  entertaining  work  on  Cuba : 

"  Some  one  now  remarks  that  we  are  near  to  Cuba ;  but, 
looking  landward,  nothing  is  seen  but  the  same  continuous 
mountains  which  we  have  had  for  the  last  twelve  hours,  except 
where,  low  down  on  the  shore,  there  seems  to  be  a  slight 
opening  in  the  rocky  coast,  above  which  stands,  apparently, 
some  dwelling-house.  However,  time  tells,  and  in  a  half 
hour  more  we  discover  the  small  opening  to  be  the  entrance 
to  a  valley,  and  the  dwelling-house  to  be  the  fort  of  the 
Cabanas.  Still,  no  town  and  no  harbour;  and  yet  ahead 
we  see,  high  upon  a  rocky  cliff,  a  queer-looking  old  castle, 
with  guns  frowning  from  its  embrasures,  and  its  variegated 
walls  looking  as  if  they  were  ready  to  fall  into  the  waves 
dashing  at  their  base.  That  is  the  Morro  Castle,  which, 
with  the  battery  of  Aguadores,  the  battery  of  the  Estrella, 
and  the  above  named  Cabanas,  commands  the  approaches 
to  the  harbour  and  town  of  Cuba. 

"The  rocky  shore  above  and  below  the  castle  has  scat- 
tered along  it  the  remains  of  several  vessels,  whose  caotains, 

379 


380  APPENDIX    C. 

in  trying  to  escape  from  the  dangers  of  the  storm,  have 
vainly  sought  to  enter  the  difficult  harbour,  and  the  bleach- 
ing timbers  are  sad  warnings  to  the  mariner  not  to  enter 
there  except  in  the  proper  kind  of  weather.  And  now  we 
are  up  to  the  castle,  and  a  sharp  turn  to  the  left  takes  us 
into  a  narrow  channel  and  past  the  Morro  and  the  battery 
adjoining,  whose  sentry,  with  a  trumpet  as  big  as  himself, 
hails  our  vessel  as  she  goes  by ;  and  soon  we  find  ourselves 
in  a  gradually  enlarging  bay,  around  which  the  mountains 
are  seen  in  every  direction.  As  yet  we  have  seen  no  town, 
and  no  place  where  there  will  likely  be  one ;  but  now  a  turn 
to  the  right,  and  there,  rising  from  the  water's  side  almost  to 
the  top  of  the  mountains,  is  seen  Santiago  de  Cuba,  with  its 
red  roofs,  tall  cathedral  towers,  and  the  green  trees  of 
its  pretty  Paseo,  lighted  up  by  the  evening  sun,  forming  a 
brilliant  foreground  to  the  hazy  blue  mountains  that  lie 
behind  the  city.  .  .  . 

"  Rising  gradually  from  the  bay,  upon  the  mountainside, 
to  the  high  plain  called  the  Campo  del  Marte,  the  city  of 
Santiago  reaches  in  its  highest  point  160  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea,  and  commands  from  almost  any  portion 
superb  views  of  the  bay  at  its  feet  and  of  the  majestic 
ranges  of  mountains  that  surround  it.  With  a  population 
of  about  fifty  thousand  inhabitants,  it  has  regularly  laid  out 
streets  and  well-built  houses  of  stone  in  most  portions  of 
the  city ;  though  being  built  as  it  is  on  the  side  of  a  hill, 
many  of  the  streets  are  very  steep  in  their  ascent,  and  from 
the  constant  washing  of  the  rains,  and  the  absence  of  side- 
walks, are  anything  but  an  agreeable  promenade. 

"The  town  was  founded  in  15 15,  by  Diego  Velasquez,  con- 
sidered the  conqueror  of  the  island,  who  landed  here  in  that 
year  on  his  first  voyage ;  and  it  was  from  here  that  Juan  de 
Grijalva,  in  1518,  started  on  his  expedition  for  the  conquest 
of  Yucatan,  being  followed  by  Hernando  Cortes,  who,  how- 


SANTIAGO    DE    CUBA.  381 

ever,  was  compelled  to  stop  at  Havana  (as  it  was  called 
then),  now  Batabano.  In  1522  the  distinctions  of  'City' 
and  '  Bishopric '  were  bestowed  upon  the  town,  having 
been  taken  from  the  older  town  of  Baracoa,  where  they  had 
been  bestowed  in  honour  of  that  place  being  the  first  European 
settlement;  and  in  1527  Fr.  Miguel  Ramirez  de  Salamanca, 
first  bishop  of  the  island,  arrived  and  established  here  his 
headquarters. 

"In  1528  Panfilo  de  Narvaez  set  sail  from  here  on  his 
expedition  for  the  conquest  of  Florida,  where  he  met  his 
fate  and  found  a  tomb. 

"In  1528  Hernando  de  Soto  arrived  here  with  nearly 
one  thousand  men,  having  been  authorised,  in  addition  to 
the  command  of  his  Florida  expedition,  to  assume  that  of 
the  whole  island  of  Cuba. 

"In  1553  the  city  was  captured  by  four  hundred  French 
arquebusiers,  who  took  possession  of  it  until  a  ransom  of 
$80,000  was  paid,  the  invaders  remaining  nearly  a  month  in 
the  city,  and  as  late  as  1592,  so  frequent  were  the  attacks 
of  pirates  on  this  town,  that  it  is  related  the  place  was  almost 
depopulated  by  the  inhabitants  taking  refuge  at  Bayamo, 
some  distance  in  the  interior. 

"In  1608,  the  cathedral  having  been  ruined  by  an  earth- 
quake, the  Bishop  Lalcedo  removed  his  residence  to  Havana, 
and  almost  all  the  diocesans,  as  well  as  the  ecclesiastical 
chapter,  did  the  same,  which  action  created  great  excitement, 
the  superior  governor  and  chief  of  the  island  opposing  it 

"The  Parroquial  Church  of  Havana  was  about  to  be 
made  into  a  cathedral,  through  the  efforts  of  the  prelate, 
Armen  Dariz,  but  these  were  opposed  by  the  captain-gen- 
eral, Pereda.  The  bishop  then  excommunicated  said  chief 
and  all  in  his  vicinity,  all  the  clergy  even  going  in  procession 
to  curse  and  stone  his  house. 

"In  1662  there  was  a  serious  attack  made  upon  the  place 


382  APPENDIX    C. 

by  a  squadron  of  fifteen  vessels  under  Lord  Winsor,  whose 
people  landed  at  the  place  now  known  as  the  '  Aguadores,' 
and  to  the  number  of  eight  hundred  men  marched  without 
opposition  on  the  city,  of  which  they  took  possession,  after 
repulsing  a  small  force  sent  out  to  meet  them.  The  in- 
vaders, it  appears,  partook  freely  of  the  church-bells,  carried 
off  the  guns  from  the  forts,  took  charge  of  the  slaves,  and 
not  finding  the  valuables  they  anticipated,  which  had  been 
carried  off  by  the  retreating  inhabitants,  they,  in  their  dis- 
appointment, blew  up  the  Morro  Castle,  and  destroyed  the 
cathedral,  remaining  nearly  a  month  in  possession  of  the 
city. 

"It  was  not  until  1663,  therefore,  that  the  castle  now 
known  as  the  Morro  was  rebuilt,  by  order  of  Philip  I.,  and 
at  the  same  time  the  fortresses  of  Santa  Catalina,  La  Punta, 
and  La  Estrella. 

"In  July  and  August,  1766,  a  large  portion  of  the  city 
was  ruined  by  earthquakes,  more  than  one  hundred  persons 
being  killed. 

"The  town  has  the  honour  of  having  for  its  first  mayor, 
or  '  alcalde/  Hernando  Cortes ;  and  it  is  said  that  the 
remains  of  Diego  Velasquez,  the  first  explorer  and  con- 
queror, were  buried  there  in  the  old  cathedral.  It  is  related 
in  corroboration  of  this  fact,  that  on  the  26th  of  November, 
1810,  on  digging  in  the  cemetery  of  the  new  cathedral,  the 
broken  slab  of  his  tomb  was  found,  seven  and  a  half  feet 
under  ground,  the  inscription  upon  which  is  illegible,  with 
the  exception  of  a  few  Latin  words  giving  name  and  date." 


APPENDIX   D. 

PORTO    RICO. 

T)ORTO  RICO  was  discovered  by  Columbus  in  Novem- 
JL  ber,  1493.  In  1510  Ponce  de  Leon  founded  the  town 
of  Caparra,  soon  after  abandoned,  and  now  known  as  Pureto 
Viejo,  and  in  1511,  with  more  success,  the  city  of  San  Juan 
Bautista,  or  better  known  simply  as  San  Juan.  The  native 
inhabitants  were  soon  subdued  and  swept  away.  In  1595 
the  capital  was  sacked  by  Drake,  and  in  1598  by  the  Earl 
of  Cumberland.  In  1615  Baldwin  Heinrich,  a  Dutchman, 
lost  his  life  in  an  attack  on  the  Castello  del  Mono.  The 
attempt  of  the  English,  in  1678,  was  equally  unsuccessful, 
and  Abercrombie,  in  1797,  had  to  retire  after  a  three 
days'  strife.  In  1820  a  movement  was  made  toward  the 
declaration  of  independence  on  the  part  of  the  Porto 
Ricans,  but  Spanish  supremacy  was  completely  reestab- 
lished by  1823.  The  last  traces  of  slavery  were  abolished 
in  1873. 

San  Juan  is  the  ideal  city  and  spot  of  the  whole  island, 
saving  that  it  is  well  fortified,  for  it  is  the  coolest,  the 
healthiest  port,  with  thirty-eight  feet  of  water  in  the  harbour, 
and  twenty-eight  feet  of  water  alongside  the  coal  wharves. 
It  is  the  only  port  on  the  island  with  fortifications.  There 
are  barracks  in  a  few  of  the  larger  towns,  but  outside  of  the 
eight  thousand  or  ten  thousand  troops  there  are  very  few 
fighting  men  on  the  island. 

The  volunteers  are  not  looked  upon  as  a  great  factor 

383 


384  APPENDIX    D. 

in  fighting  by  those  who  know  them,  and  are  almost  all 
Spaniards.  The  Guardia  Civil  is  made  up  of  the  best  of 
the  Spanish  army,  and  commands  great  respect.  The  Porto 
Rican  civilians  do  not  have  to  enter  the  army  service  unless 
they  please,  and  very  few  of  them  please. 

The  defences  of  San  Juan  are  good.  San  Felippe  del 
Morro  fortress  is  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbour.  It  is 
the  principal  defence  from  the  sea,  and  has  three  rows  of 
batteries.  It  is  separated  by  a  strong  wall  from  the  city, 
which  lies  at  the  back  of  it,  but  communication  between  the 
city  and  fort  is  had  by  a  tunnel. 

The  roads  of  Porto  Rico  are,  for  the  most  part,  bad. 
There  are  some  notable  exceptions.  There  is  a  splendid 
road  built  by  the  Spanish  government  from  Ponce  to  San 
Juan.  It  is  about  eighty-five  miles  long,  and  a  young  Porto 
Rican  told  the  writer  that  he  frequently  went  over  it  on  his 
bicycle,  and  it  was  splendid  all  the  way.  Another  road 
from  Guayama,  meeting  the  Ponce  road  at  Cayey,  has  been 
recently  finished.  The  scenery  is  the  most  beautiful  in  the 
West  Indies,  for  tropical  wild  flowers  are  all  over  the 
island,  and  large  tree  ferns  and  magnificent  plants  every- 
where abound.  There  are  no  venomous  snakes  nor  wild 
animals  of  any  kind  in  Porto  Rico.  Oranges  and  other 
tropical  fruits  thrive  in  Porto  Rico,  but  they  are  not  specially 
cultivated. 

Some  years  ago  a  railway  around  the  island  was  projected, 
but  only  three  sections  have  been  built.  There  is  one  to 
the  north  from  San  Juan  to  Camuy,  one  on  the  west  from 
Aguadilla  to  Mayaguez,  and  one  on  the  south  from  Yauco 
to  Ponce.  Any  one  wishing  to  travel  around  the  coast  from 
San  Juan  to  Ponce  would  be  obliged  to  continue  their 
journey  by  stage-coaches,  one  from  Camuy  to  Aguadilla, 
and  one  from  Mayaguez  to  Yauco. 

San  Juan  has  about  forty  thousand  inhabitants,  and  Ponce 


PORTO    RICO.  385 

has  almost  thirty  thousand.  There  are  many  towns  of 
between  twelve  thousand  and  thirty  thousand  people.  The 
buildings  are  low  and  are  of  wood.  There  are  a  few  three- 
story  buildings  in  Ponce,  and  these  are  the  latest  examples 
of  modern  construction. 


APPENDIX   E. 

THE    BAY    OF   GUANTANAMO. 

ON  the  extreme  southeastern  coast  of  Cuba,  some  dis- 
tance east  of  Santiago,  is  Guantanamo,  or  Cumberland 
Bay.  It  is  an  exceedingly  beautiful  sheet  of  water,  with  a 
narrow  entrance,  guarded  by  high  hills.  It  extends  twelve 
miles  inland,  with  a  level  coast-line  to  the  westward,  and 
high  hills  on  the  north  and  east. 

Five  miles  from  the  entrance  is  the  little  town  of 
Caimanera,  from  which  runs  a  railroad  to  the  town  of 
Guantanamo,  twelve  miles  distant,  with  its  terminus  at  the 
town  of  Jamaica.  There  are  two  and  one-half  square  miles 
of  anchorage,  with  a  depth  of  forty  feet,  so  far  inside  as  to 
be  fully  protected  from  the  wind.  For  vessels  drawing 
twenty-four  feet  or  less  there  are  about  two  more  square 
miles  of  harbourage. 


386 


18 


.785 


University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

405  Hilgard  Avenue,  Los  Angeles,  CA  90024-1388 

Return  this  material  to  the  library 

from  which  it  was  borrowed. 


A      nrln  "' "'''  I'lllllll  (III 


